Conflicted! Help me, Hive Mind!

[Noisybast]

Bear with me on this one. It's a bit of a long-winded ramble, but I really need some help making the decision!

I'm three weeks into my current 2-3 month temp contract, and it's going OK. The job's reasonably enjoyable, if desk-based. The people are pretty cool, for the most part. The only down side is the commute. It's ostensibly a journey of just over an hour each way, which I can handle, but rush hour driving bumps that up by anything up to an hour. So that's me knackered on the way in for an early shift and on the way home for a late. Arsebiscuits.

Yesterday, I got a call from a rival agency offering me a six month contract in my home town, just 30-45 minutes away, with a strong possibility of extension. Tempting, but I really don't like the idea of leaving a contract half-way through and dropping my employer in the mire. I went for the interview anyway, out of curiosity and spoke to the manager. He interviewed me a couple of months ago for another role, but I didn't get it. I must have done something right, though, as he remembered me, and seemed keen to get me in. The problem is, it's a three-month contract, with no possibility of extension, as they've got permanent staff coming in at that point. I explained my reservations about leaving my current role mid-contract, which he said reflects well on me and we parted ways on good terms.

Very good terms, apparently. The agency called me back again this afternoon. He's willing to go to six months, and there's a permanent position coming up after Christmas, which I'd be considered for.

I've since spoken to the manager at my current place and explained the situation. He understands the travel is a nightmare, and can't do much about that, but has offered to extend my contract to keep me there longer. He says he's more than happy with my work, and that he'd prefer it if I stayed. He has also said that there are two permanent positions coming up over the next couple of months, and that I'd be ahead of the pack if I were to apply.

My main problem with the whole thing is feeling bad about dropping this job mid-contract, despite knowing full well that it could easily happen the other way round (and actually did at my last place). Either party need only give a week's notice, and I've made my manager aware that I'm happy to give him two weeks if I were to take the other job.

So - what to do?
New job close to home or better the devil you know?

[Colin YNWA]

I seriously don't think that you should worry about dropping a temp contract half way through. I often have temps in place in the team I run and fully understand if a better offer comes along they have to take it. As you say the other way around and if needs must the company you work for won't think twice about letting you go.

Its a pain when a good temp leaves but at the end of the day you have to understand and support the decision.

[davethomson]

I agree with Colin. Having been with a variety of agencies for a few years now, you have to be quite mercenary about it to get anything decent out of them. Plus, nowadays there are so many people in the agencies books I can't imagine they will have a problem filling the old position.

[SmallBlueThing]

Absolutely. It's the commute thing for me that settles it. I'm not going to offer advice, as it's your decision in the end, but i will say that the last time i had to commute for a job (eleven years ago) i had to leave home at 6:30am and didnt get back til 8pm. It got to the point where i was actually shouting and swearing at British Rail/ Connex guards at railway stations. Basically, the commute became more affecting than the job (which in all fairness wasn't bad) and i quit after i think nine months purely because of that.
The working week is long enough without adding 15+ unpaid hours of travel to it.
SBT

[House of Usher]

Take the job that doesn't have the hour-long commute each way. What's your hourly rate? Multiply that by 10 hours; that's what it's costing you each week to work for the further away employer, and if you were to get a permanent post with them, that and the lost mornings and evenings, and constant tiredness or early nights, are what you're in for every week you are committed to working there.

[Buttonman]

Honour the contract you agreed to - it's the right thing to do.

Those footballers who look to break a contract once they score a couple of goals? Don't be like them.

Or Alan Moore who signs contracts when looking for a break and then moans about them after they've made him rich and famous.

A man's only as good as his word after all.

Sod it, who's paying more?

[LARF]

It's business. Go for the contract closer to home, you Save both time and money, and get some of your life back - what do you work for, if not to be able to live a good life, not a difficult choice, just an emotional one which you have to disasociate yourself from in order to make your life less complicated.

[vzzbux]

I used to drive 20 mins to pick up my work mate then it was a 45 mins to 1 hour drive to my work. Then after picking up my work schedule and stock it was a 1 hour slog back to Leicester to do my route. Thank grud those days have gone.

Personally I would take the local work, but having never done temping don't really know how it works from job to job so you must weigh up the best prospects of the permanent option i.e. which one will most likely offer you the full time job, if they both fit that bill then bonus.





V

[Noisybast]

Ok. It's done. I took the new offer,  it managed to get a couple of extra days notice for my current employer. As it turned out, both my current managers were cool about it and even suggested I keep an eye out for two upcoming permanent positions.

[Noisybast]

Ayy. That should have read: "I took the new offer. I also managed to get a couple of extra days notice for my current employer". Friggin' autocorrect on my phone...