I’ve been at this job for 10 months. $26/hr, benefits, work on my own but it is soul sucking. My former employer contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I would consider coming back. I left because of pay but they worked out a deal with the union to add a couple more tiers to the pay scale for the job.
I went to see him last week to go over what they had to offer. The pay isn’t quite what I’m making now but the work is way more in line with my skills. They offered full benefits commencing immediately upon return, reinstating my seniority (agreed to by the union as I would be the only one with no line of progression), more flexibility in hours, less travel and reinstated holidays.
Even though the pay is a little less, I agreed to return as I prefer working in a union setting, I got along with management very well, I earned the respect of the men and women that do the actual work on the floor and the days didn’t drag on endlessly.
Since I left 10 months ago, they have had 4 different people in the position. 1st lasted just over a day, the 2nd lasted 2 weeks the 3rd, 4 months and the final guy, 4 months. When I left for my current job I gave 2 weeks notice and stayed the full 2 weeks. I knew that this wasn’t a job to burn the bridge with as I had a feeling I may want go back.
Even though I’m a dreaded boomer, I know the only way to make more $$ these days is to change jobs often. The parts manager and accounting department brought to the attention of management and corporate just how much $$ I was able to save the company and pled my case (unbeknownst to me) thus having the extra tiers of pay added.
I have never trusted corporations as I know we as workers are just a number to them but the union rep reminded me that the company has always bargained in good faith and they have never been on strike or locked out. This job provides a way better work/life setting, very rare instances of o/t and the work itself to me is quite satisfying.
I guess what I’m getting at is this. Sometimes an extra few thousand a year seems great but at what cost does it come? Since giving my notice I already feel less stressed. I’ll still Be over $50k/yr and being in Canada I don’t have to worry about health insurance, I have my weekends off and I pretty much pick the work I want to do daily. Moving on for more pay seemed like the right thing but not burning the bridge in this instance was a good decision on my part.