Job opportunity question

[elessar78]

This is actually my wife's situation.

She's ready for a change and was asked to come in for an interview. It looks very promising and she is very qualified for this position.

Here's the thing, it's not a full time gig although it pays more per hour. It's with a company that has multiple offices, one in ours and one in a neighboring city. She would get a part time position in each branch. One needs her for ten to sixteen hours, and the other for about 12 hours per week. At first they said they'll keep her work load low as she acclimates but should reach the higher end of the hours. The new job offers no benefits.

25 Hours at this job will equal what she is making at her current job working 40 hours. Assuming she can get the 25 hours. Other potential sources of income: she has recently started this work from home gig, low hours (5 hours/week), nominal pay but it's extra money. She also does this jewelry home show thing which again brings in a nominal amount. Her parents own a farm where they need some clerical help, where she could be hired in a heart beat.

So it sounds like a sound decision to take this new job, right? I have my concerns though. No benefits. My job is pretty secure,and I worry in a worse case scenario we'd be left with no insurance. I also worry that the hours are not guaranteed. I like predictable, reliable cash flow.

[disneysteve]

Does she need benefits or is she covered through your job? She doesn't need both. My wife has access to health coverage on her job but doesn't use it because I have her covered.

If I could switch from 40 hours to 25 hours at the same income, I'd do it in an instant. Plus, that gives her 15 hours/week to devote to her work from home business and hopefully get that to generate more money so in the end, she could end up making even more than at her current job.

[elessar78]

She's covered through me on my insurance.

Yeah, I'm on the same wavelength about same money less hours.

I'm just trying to see if there are negative angles to this that I'm not seeing. I'm naturally cautious, so when things seem like they are in order. Little alarm bells start to go off. I think this could be a good situation for her.

[Slug]

Would she be leaving a 401k match behind. That changes the $ equation.

[MonkeyMama]

I think the benefits are rather moot. She is covered by you.

I currently have very little benefits at my job (sick pay/vacation, but that's it). There are other reasons I keep it. Our household has no benefits, so we buy all our insurance privately.

This has kind of evolved over the years as a result of getting paid less and having more benefits at other jobs, but the benefits not being very useful or good.

Just another perspective to not get caught up on the benefits so much.

That said, it is important to consider all benefits when comparing the compensation from job to job. (401k match was mentioned, as an example).

[cjscully]

Seems to me that less hours for the same money plus the ability to develop one or more of the side-income things she has going would result in same hours and more money down the road. If the benefits aren't really an issue right now, what's not to like?

[elessar78]

Thanks all. She has her interview on Monday so we'll pin down more details then. But it's looking promising.

Her company stopped matching their 401k right after the economic downturn in 2008.

[kork13]

Another consideration might be the added fuel/maintenance/time spent in driving to the 'neighboring city'. Really just depends on how far the other city is...

And, of course, there are the non-tangibles. Does she like her current job? Will she like the new job(s) more? Compare also job security, work environment, level/difficulty of work, and so on.