What to do?

LegacyUser

I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands at the moment. I'm currently unemployed and actively seeking work. A friend of mine informed me of a job coming up in his place and after weighing it up I turned it down.

I turned it down on the basis that it is not worth it for me. It is only part time and I'd be coming out with less money than I'm on on the social welfare alone before I even think of medical card, etc. and working terrible hours. There is the possibility of more hours around Christmas, but Christmas is a long way away.

I was wondering was I wrong to turn down this job? The way I see it is I have a family to support and while I don't enjoy being on the dole I have to put my family first and think about my bills, rents, children, etc. We're barely making ends meet now so I don't know how we'd survive if my partner or I lost any more money.

I was wondering do people think I was wrong to turn down this job? I was ready to jump at the job when I thought it was a full time job, then when I found out if was part time work I was disappointed.

Kevin Duffy

What dilemma? Your decision is made, you've turned the job down, there is no dilemma.

You made the best decision you could for you and your family in difficult circumstances, the right decision as it looks to me, don't lose any sleep over it. Best of luck with the job hunting.

You clearly had good reason to turn it down.

The only time it's "wrong" to turn down a job is if it's completely out of an aversion to work. You've made it clear you really want to work, you just have some higher priorities that you need to take care of at the moment, ie. your family. It was a tough decision, but you did the right thing and you should just forget about it and move on to looking for work that can actually support you and your family. Good luck.

Herrick

You put the welfare of your family first and rightly so, you made the right decision. Stop worrying

dev100

Confused Guy wrote: »

I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands at the moment. I'm currently unemployed and actively seeking work. A friend of mine informed me of a job coming up in his place and after weighing it up I turned it down.

I turned it down on the basis that it is not worth it for me. It is only part time and I'd be coming out with less money than I'm on on the social welfare alone before I even think of medical card, etc. and working terrible hours. There is the possibility of more hours around Christmas, but Christmas is a long way away.

I was wondering was I wrong to turn down this job? The way I see it is I have a family to support and while I don't enjoy being on the dole I have to put my family first and think about my bills, rents, children, etc. We're barely making ends meet now so I don't know how we'd survive if my partner or I lost any more money.

I was wondering do people think I was wrong to turn down this job? I was ready to jump at the job when I thought it was a full time job, then when I found out if was part time work I was disappointed.

I like your honesty OP ..... I think your post rings true for a lot of unemployed people seeking work and seeing it doesnt pay to go back to work its better to stay as is. I have this argument in work with people who tell me its not right what people in your position are doing... Its very easy to pass judgement when they walking in your shoes

Having said all this If you took up this job I think you are entitled to keep your medical card for a few year and also I think there is a mechanism where the sw supplement your wage for a certain period and maybe some other stuff. That is something you could look into if you havent already.

On a negative note it is my belief there will big cuts in sw payments aft dec budget judging by imf and eu brief which was published in the media on fri gone. In theory we have to cut it cause low wage employed people get taxed even further it will just lead people to say to hell with this, makes no economical sense to work. but anyway good luck with the job hunting.

LegacyUser

Many people out there would think you're wrong.

I'm in 2 minds. I'll just say first that at least you're honest about the crappiness of that decision. I was on the dole for 10 months, and I always felt I'd take the first offer I got. But having said that, there's just me, the OH and a mortgage. I don't have a family. Therefore it's not quite the same thing.

You decided on the best solution to keep providing for your family. Which is a fair enough decision to make. And it's one that our overly generous welfare system often forces on decent people - which I know sounds totally ridiculous, but it's true.

On the other hand, be careful when making decisions like that. It might seem like a crap option to you now, but it's true what they say - it's easier to find a job when you have one, and it opens doors to you to network with other people. There's more benefits to working than just monetary. Alongside all that, there's the psychological aspect of getting a job - when I was unemployed I just wanted to work, no matter what. I found it so hard to not be working - self esteem, confidence, just general well-being was affected badly. I don't know how you're handling it, but having a job does a lot for you.

In a nutshell, yes I understand why you turned the job down, but for future job offers, maybe consider other aspects than just the money.And don't expect most people to understand why you made that decision - they don't want to hear it, especially if they've never been unemployed.