I gave notice to my work today

IMG_0951I have been working for the same company for the past 8 years. This is the second company I’ve worked for since I graduated college. I started working here before I met my husband, and now I’m married with two kids… wow! And I just realized that 8 years is exactly 1/4 of my life. Crazy!

Anyway, one of the things that has been on my mind lately is the desire to have my life reflect my priorities. With that, something that has been weighing heavily on me is the lack of balance between my working life and my home life. I don’t know that there is a perfect balance– whether you are home with your kids full time, work part time outside the home, or work full time outside the home, I believe there are challenges and sacrifices associated with any of these choices. However, as I’m now a mother of two and so aware of how fast this precious time with my kids is flying by, I’ve felt a desperate need for more time with my kids than the standard 8-5 job allows for. My company has been good about letting me take time off as needed, and whereas there are some jobs within my industry that allow working from home, a part time schedule is unheard of.
Enter my former boss. Through ups and downs, he and I worked well together, and one day I teasingly said to him, “What would you do without me?” He surprised me by saying, “I have no intention of finding out,” and then proceeding to tell me that if he ever left the company that he was going to take me with him. Well, he is no longer at the company (hence “former boss”), and he has recruited me to come work for him at his new company. He asked me, “How much do I have to pay you to get you to come work for me?” I explained to him that more money wasn’t a priority for me– what I really needed was more time with my kids. Knowing full well that he hates letting people work from home, I asked if he would consider letting me work from home. He said he would need me in the office a few days per week, but yes, I could do some work from home. Then I really asked for the moon– I asked him if he would consider letting me work part time, and he said yes!
So I put together a schedule that I thought could work for both of us and sent it off to him despite the many people expressing concern that I was asking for too much. I just couldn’t see any point in proposing something that I would not be happy with. I asked for a 30 hour work week: Monday and Tuesday in the office (8 hour days), Wednesday and Thursday work from home (7 hour days), and Friday off. To everyone’s surprise, he came back with a very reasonable counter offer, which I was willing to agree to: a 32 hour week (which apparently still makes me full time and thus eligible to be a manager) Mon, Wed, Fri in the office, Tuesday work from home, and Thursday off. On my work from home day I can be done with work at a reasonable hour and thus have more time with my kids in the evening, and I get a full day each week with the kids!!! It may not be perfect, but it would sure help! So then the question became if I could make this change and still be able to bring in the income my family needs. I believed I could, and sure enough I managed to negotiate an equivalent salary to what I am currently making. Who could turn down a deal like that? Not me!
Thus, I gave notice to my employer today. I still can’t believe it. People were really shocked and sad to hear about my departure, but I think they understood my decision. I feel like I am making the right move for my family, but I also feel a little like I am abandoning my work family, which is hard. The timing is difficult because I am currently covering multiple people’s jobs, but I am going to do my best to minimize the pain of the transition. My last day is supposed to be the 25th, and then I am planning to take a week off to try to get my life in order (what mom doesn’t need to do that?). My first day at the new company will be November 4th. It is scary to make a decision like this, but as my mom says, we have all been praying about this, and now it is time to trust God.
So here I go… off to a new adventure!

 

20 thoughts on “I gave notice to my work today

  1. Many blessings to you on your new journey! Congrats!

    • Thanks Jennifer! It’s pretty crazy, but it should be a good change.

      Looking forward to celebrating your new journey soon! 🙂

  2. Congrats! This is exciting – I know you’ve wanted more of a work life balance. Good luck!
    Sara recently posted…Lots o’ApplesMy Profile

    • Thanks Sara! I appreciate all the insights you have shared from your experiences balancing work and family. I’ll let you know how it goes.

  3. So happy to hear that you’re happy!
    God bless you!
    Aunt Diane

    • Thanks Aunt Diane! The transition is a bit overwhelming, but I am really looking forward to more time with my little cuties. 🙂

  4. Glad to hear everything is working out great for you and your family. Make sure you take care of that Boss of yours too. He sounds like a one of a kind. Most Boss’s these days do nothing but look for ways to fire you instead of caring about you and your needs.
    You have a great looking family, we miss seeingh you all at the river the past few years. Say hello to everyone for us.

    • So good to hear from you! I’ve missed our family reunions at the river too. We’re going to have to figure something out so we can all get together again.

      Thanks! Yes, I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some good people over the years.

  5. Good for you. A few years back I had to make the same decision except with the same company, which took me from 40 to 20 hours a week. Now that my son is older I am up to 30 hrs a week. Trust and follow God, He will always be there. I wanted to let you know I have nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award! You can read about it here at on my last post Thankful Thursday. Have a Blessed week.
    Crisi recently posted…Thankful Thursday – Completely HumbledMy Profile

    • Thanks Crisi. I actually believe God led me to my current job, and my job before that, and both of those experiences have been great, so I have high hopes for this opportunity as well. Who needs a headhunter when you have God hand delivering jobs to you, right? I’m glad to hear you had a positive experience with making a similar decision.

      I am so honored that you nominated me. Thanks so much for your support of my blog!

  6. That is awesome! I am so happy for you!
    Haley @ Carrots for Michaelmas recently posted…Getting Organized with Mama’s Notebooks (Review and GIVEAWAY!)My Profile

    • Thanks Haley! As you know, we’ve been praying about this for quite a while now, and it is so nice to have an answer to our prayers. God’s answers may not always be what we were expecting or in our timing, but I believe He knows what we need even better than we do since we can only see things from our perspective, and He can see the whole picture. I appreciate all the support and encouragement you shared with me on this journey.

  7. Oh that is WONDERFUL news!!! I am so so glad that it all worked out so beautifully for you!!! I just love when that happens. And yes, having our lives reflect our priorities is a must. As hard as it can be at times… I am always convicted of doing this. I think you just evoked a post about this very topic… I need to write one!! 🙂
    I pray that you feel a new sense of balance and peace in this new season to come! XO
    Chris Carter recently posted…Devotional Diary: Fear. (Time To Cut The Tumor Out)My Profile

    • Hi Chris. Thank you for your sweet words and support. It is always scary to leave the security of the world you know for a risky new world. I believe I am following God’s plan, but it’s easy to second guess myself at times. Right now though I’m enjoying my desperately needed week off as I try to get my life in order before diving into a new job… a new future.

      I was so happy to hear your good news as well! I am also keeping you in my prayers.

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