HUGE work decision - help!

[12]

OK guys, I need some serious advice here.

I am a Sergeant at a prison. I promoted about a year ago, and for the most part, it has been a good experience. I work Graveyard and have very little job stress. My post is cake and the group of guys I supervise are legit - they make my job easy.

As I said, I work Graveyard, with Tuesday and Wednesday off. It works okay for my family, but it is definitely not ideal. I miss a lot of functions and social events on the weekends. I am fairly young and am considered a "rising star," as my Captain called me yesterday. In time, I feel as if I can go as high as I want.

But, I want to voluntarily demote.

Why? 12 hour shifts. If I go back to being an officer, I will have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and every other Monday off. I will work 14 days per month. I will make more money than I make now (12 hour shifts get automatic OT and clean up on holidays). The job stress might increase a tad, but not much. If I want to take two weeks off, I would use 36 hours of leave, rather than the 80 I would have to use now. These shifts are not available to Sergeants.

The main reason I want to do this is for my family. I am married with two boys (ages 3 and 10 months) with another baby on the way. The idea of essentially working five months out of the year while increasing my pay is very enticing, to say the least.

Demoting might make me look bad to the Administration... But I don't think I care. Ever since my Dad died nearly two months ago, all I want is to maximize my time with my family. My job has quickly become just a paycheck. I am an FBI trained Crisis Negotiator and have pumped so much time into my job that I feel like this is the step I need to take - to pull back, and take every opportunity to spend as much time with my family as I can.

It might burn me for future promotions, but I'm really not sure that I care. If I stay a Sergeant, with my seniority date, it will be years before I get on day shift with good days off. Part of me feels like this is not a lifetime career for me - I have other things I want to do, such as write and build my side business, which could end up being very successful. Then again, I am 31, and this might be it for me.

Advice? Thoughts? Has anyone ever made a decision like this before?

Any feedback is appreciated.

[UK0wnag3]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

This might sound really cheesy, mate, but do whatever makes you happy.

I'm a firm believer that happiness comes from within, and not from outside i.e. job titles etc.

I'm just one man who's been down the pub, but that's my two cents.

[mgoblue]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

This might sound really cheesy, mate, but do whatever makes you happy.

I'm a firm believer that happiness comes from within, and not from outside i.e. job titles etc.

I'm just one man who's been down the pub, but that's my two cents.

I agree.

My wife works for CPS (government as well), and if she promotes it usually ends up with her getting barely better pay but worse treatment (more hours, etc).

I'd do what makes sense for you and your family.

[LowerWolf]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

I've got a friend who took a promotion and within a year regretted it. He's told me several times he wish he could go back to what he was doing before it.

Your case isn't the same, but it sounds like you know what you want to do. I have no idea what your administration is like, but I'd have a hard time faulting someone for wanting to spend more time with their family ... and you wind up making more money too.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

Family comes first. Always.

[BurghFan]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

First of all congrats on the expectant third kid. Hope things go smoother for you and your wife this time around.

As for you job situation. Voluntary deomotion = more $ + more time with family seems like a win win to me. Like others said, do what makes you happy and what you think is best for the family.

[55]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

Family comes first. Always.

It all depends on the family.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

It all depends on the family.

Yeah, I've been blessed to be able to say that my family comes first.

[55]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

Yeah, I've been blessed to be able to say that my family comes first.

Totally opposite here, but still...

Spoiler

[PadresFan]

Tough decision to make for sure. Being in law enforcement, you gotta do what's best for the family. The job can be stressful for a variety of reasons and quite truthfully, you might not go home at the end of your shift because of the inherent dangers of what we do. Spend the time with the family.... Work and promotions will always be there...

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

[FlyingFinn]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

I have a big decision to make as well with my career... I have a great job and make great money at my current job. However, I really want to stay in Germany and my job is moving me back to the States.

I have found jobs here but the pay is much less then I make with my current job so I don't know what to do. Take a step back money wise to stay or go back to America and make the best of it.

Don't want to hijack this thread but I think I am in a similar situation as the OP.

[slickdtc]

Better money, better schedule, more family time.

The only con here is stepping down and what it may do for your career, possibly being pigeonholed into doing this forever with that black mark of voluntarily being demoted. But like you said, you have a side business as well so that kind of wipes that out.

Hmm, decision seems made to me.

I'm going through issues with work too. I was up for a promotion but didn't get it and was told maybe next time with a caveat: a new position was being created more in line with what I want to do. But it's just talk at this point. In the meantime, ill be expected more of with no promise I will get the newly created position, and the fact that it doesn't exist yet. I really can't afford to wait around hoping it opens up sooner then later while being asked to do more without proper compensation. I get that i need to put in more time but I've decided to go look around for other jobs to stabilize my situation. This isn't my career, I can't justify pumping more of myself into it then I already am.

[12]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

Yeah, the more I think about it, the easier the decision seems.

I am going to disappoint a lot of high ranking people, but a precedent has been set that, if you demote for the right reasons, you can climb back if you choose to do so later. Still, that won't take away from the opinions of my superiors who will think that I am making a huge mistake.

But to these people, work is their life. You can see it in everything they do. I am just not wired that way anymore. I will always do a good job, but in my line of work, taking promotions often means screwing yourself. It's all seniority based, so at each level of promotion, you take a little bit more pay but get put on the bottom of the rung as far as schedule goes, until you get into upper management and start experiencing the banker hours.

We'll see... I need to talk this over with my wife a bit more. Another down side is that on the days I would work, it would be strictly work/sleep. With a 40-minute commute each way, those 12 hour days quickly turn into 14 hour days. But again, 14 days per month.

[z Revis]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

I would do it. From the sounds of it.. you're making more money while working less hours(or at least less days) by taking a demotion. Life is too short to worry too much about work. Plus, you sound like someone where a promotion will always be available for you.

[mb625]

Re: HUGE work decision - help!

If you told them it was so that you could spend a bit more time with your growing family, they'd be able to understand and wouldn't hold it against you. I'm sure they realize that family should come first. Your new schedule is similar to the one my dad has at his work. He works 4 out of every 8 days and it's been a lot easier on my family since he started that a few years ago. A bit frustrating on the weekends he's working, but you don't have to worry about that.