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Discussion

Which job would you take?

Job 1 $45/hour

45 minutes to 1 hour commute. Three 12 hour shifts per week for a total of 34.5 paid hours. Every other weekend and alternating major holidays. Very high acuity.

Job 2 $38/hour

10-15 minute commute. Three 12 hour shifts per week plus Every other weekend with shorter hours (total of 40 paid working hours) and no major holidays. Less high acuity.

I have 2 young children who would need an additional day of childcare with job #2.

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    • Featured Replies

    Being you have two young children job #2 sounds like the better job to take in the event an emergency happens.. you won’t be too far away.. both sounds great

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    You don't say whether you want higher or lower acuity, so I vote for Job #1. If I understand correctly, job #1 would be slightly less days away from your kids & less childcare to arrange. $7/hour difference is significant.

    The commute will be a challenge though.

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    A long commute is a deal-breaker for me, so there would be no contest.

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    • Guides

    I'd take Job #2. You'll save enough in gas and frustration to make up for the lower salary, I think. And low acuity would be a dream (at least for me; you may feel differently). I've done the commuter thing and it sucks. On my last job, I had an hour commute each way, five days a week, 50 weeks out of the year, and fighting 18-wheelers and crazy drivers wore me down more than the work did. The money was good but it wasn't worth that brutal commute.

    Just my honest opinion. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Viva

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    I would take job #2.

    My job has a 30 minute commute. I have to add in a cushion of time in case of traffic. Then I have to add the time it takes to walk to the hospital. In big cities and some college campuses there is no close affordable parking. After work there is the walk or shuttle bus back to the car and the commute home after sometimes working late. A twelve hour shift often has a 14 hour door-to-door time. What kind of childcare would you have to be able to cover those kinds of hours? An hour commute means an extra couple hours of childcare coverage.

    The missing piece of into is if you are a single parent, live with a spouse, live with your parents? Divorced with partial custody? Dealing with balancing work and family is often framed as the mother's problem to deal with, but it really is a family issue.

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    • Guides

    The cost of childcare and gas will erase any significant wage gain. This is a no brainer in my book. Take job #2.

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    I would take job 2 because I hate working holidays and I would want the holidays with my kids. Plus I figure the 7$/hr gets washed out when you are paid for 34.5 instead of 40 hours. You might actually bring home more with job 2.

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    • Experts

    One way to calculate: take how much you'd make in one day and factor in the commute times.

    Job #1: 12 hr x 45. = $540. With a 1 hr commute each direction your workday is actually 14 hrs. 540/14 = $38.57 per hour of actual workday.

    Job #2: 12 hr x 38. = $456. With a 15 min drive each direction your workday is actually 12.5 hrs. 456/12.5 = $36.48 per hour of actual workday.

    Now the pay gap is a bit smaller. Of course you'll have to factor in bennies which may make a huge difference or no difference.

    FWIW: I'd pick the job with the shorter commute. I've done hour-long commutes and they can be even more soul-sucking than the job itself. I can't figure out how job #2 would necessitate an extra day of childcare. What am I missing?

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    I'd take job number 2 in a heartbeat. It're more practical, to be honest.

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    Prolly job #2 solely for practicality's sake, unless you're super jazzed about job #1. Is there one that you're more drawn to than the other?

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    #2 for all the reasons above but if you haven't already, see if you can negotiate higher pay.

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