Workplace New job offer, which could cause a huge mess...

[Hatfield1313]

Anyone who has read my work topics knows I'm not thrilled about my current situation. The commute I have for the money I make to do the work of five people is downright despicable. Yet, I stay, out of loyalty, and I question why when I know I'm taken advantage of and grossly underpaid.

Last week, the owner of the body shop that we refer all our work to and use ourselves when vehicles get damaged on the lot, offered me a job. Same money I make per week now, but for three days a week, and then when his main front office woman retires (within the next year or two) I'd be full time at double my weekly salary. It would be the same commute, but less days a week, so easier on the gas tank. He wants me because he sees I'm always at work, I'm the go to person when his front office woman has questions about POs, he knows that I know computers, he knows I'm extremely organized, and he just overall likes my personality. I know, you're thinking, "why is this even a tough decision?" Well, because of my boss. I know him well enough to know that he would completely write me off (not a big deal at this point frankly), but what I fear most is that he would tell the body shop that he no longer needs their service and they'll lose a big contract. It's not like I can give him my resignation and not any further information because when he calls the shop and hears my voice, he'll know what went down.

I'm really stuck right now. I'm so fed up with my current job situation and yet at least I have a job and I know my boss like the back of my hand and I'm not worried I'll get fired or anything, I can really be myself 100% there and most of my coworkers are like family now. My hourly pay is a joke but when it comes to my monthly spiffs my boss always throws in more than what I actually earned. He knows where I stand on my pay and he knows I'm not happy (I've talked to him about it countless times), he did recently add a new spiff to my pay which has helped, but why the hell can't he just give me more per hour when I do so much stuff? I guess that's why the body shop job sounds appealing, because the pay compared to amount of work equals out, but not my current hourly pay to my current workload. I do so much right now that I don't even know what my official title is. A vendor asked me that the other day, and with my boss standing there I said, "I really don't know, maybe you should ask him," and my boss said "her title can be whatever she wants it to be with everything she does." Okay, so, what am I missing here?! SMH, I get that I'm a woman in a man's field and according to more than one coworker I work under men that feel men are superior and because of that I will never see more money (according to these other women), but at the same time I know my boss well enough to know when he backs his girls, he backs them 100% (meaning if the GM tried to say i can't move up because this is a man's job, my boss would say he's downright wrong and would move me up) I just feel like he's dragging his a$$ doing so. He keeps waiting for us to open our second service drive before making me a full service advisor and yet I watch him fire advisors and hire new ones. Why not just move me up already? He feels like I'm not ready yet, and in some aspects I'm not, but I can't keep doing everything I do at this pay grade. I just can't.

What do I do? And before you say "look elsewhere" please know that I have, but is it worth taking an increase in pay to pretty much demote myself? I've worked this hard to get this far, I really don't want to go back down to an entry level job for only a dollar more per hour.

 

[ap.]

if it's all about the money then you first need to find out if this new job is stable and that you can count on the woman retiring soon (I know someone who took forever to retire despite talking about it constantly). two years is a long time to wait. do you get the same benefits: insurance, retirement, etc...

my first thought is: since they only need a few days a week can you work part-time for the mechanic while keeping your current job?

how common is poaching in your industry? is what the body shop owner doing generally frowned upon - like you have to keep it hush-hush? I can't figure out whether your relationship with your current boss is positive, negative, or neutral...

 

[Hatfield1313]

if it's all about the money then you first need to find out if this new job is stable and that you can count on the woman retiring soon (I know someone who took forever to retire despite talking about it constantly). two years is a long time to wait. do you get the same benefits: insurance, retirement, etc...

my first thought is: since they only need a few days a week can you work part-time for the mechanic while keeping your current job?

how common is poaching in your industry? is what the body shop owner doing generally frowned upon - like you have to keep it hush-hush? I can't figure out whether your relationship with your current boss is positive, negative, or neutral...

There is more that I need to find out, I don't know about the insurance and whatnot yet, but I carry my own insurance out of pocket, so that's not a deal breaker for me. And then you have that other aspect you mentioned, of waiting on someone to retire, which isn't a guarantee. Just like here, I'm waiting on the second service drive to open so I can be a full advisor (and make bank) but it seems that keeps getting pushed. At first we were supposed to have that by now from what I understood, and now I'm hearing another 2-3 years. It is going to happen, it's just contracts and bs between the dealership and the car manufacturer that has to be worked out.

Poaching is pretty common, but it's kept under wraps, there's a lot of "I'll pay you more to come do the same thing for me" but generally it's between dealership to dealership and therefore you don't have to deal with the same people again on a daily basis, you always have the excuse of "Well this dealership is closer to home" or something like that to fall back on when resigning. This would just flat out be "I'm sick of being underpaid for what you're having me do and this is a better situation but I'm still going to have to have contact with you on a weekly basis." This is the first time I've seen this type of thing where it's a vendor trying to take a dealership employee. And then part of me kinda feels like "Well would he be risking a portion of his business income by trying to take me?" and I don't think he'd be dumb enough to do that? But I don't know. Maybe I'm all wrong, maybe my boss wouldn't care, but somehow I highly, highly doubt that.

My relationship with my current boss ranges from positive to neutral. Over the time I've worked for him, a friendship has been formed and a father/daughter type bond as well. I guess that's the part I don't want to betray? I can go to him for anything and on more than one occasion he's gotten me out of a jamb. I have told him I need more money and he has produced, but not in the way he needs to. A little something extra added to my monthly spiff is fine and dandy, but it doesn't make up for what I'm lacking hourly. I think if we didn't have the type of relationship we have, if he were just another typical boss, I'd already be gone.

Truthfully when it comes down to it, it's this: I don't make enough hourly. It's embarrassing that a younger friend of mine I worked with at our previous dealership, is now at another dealership as a cashier, making more than I do per hour. Secondly, I have to really question if the money would matter? My first dealership I was around a product I love and believe in and get behind the wheel of every day. I was happy and stood behind the manufacturer of the product I worked around, and that outweighed what my paycheck was. Here, I can't stand the product, I don't believe in it, I think it's a piece of junk, so even if I were to get a raise, would it matter? Just thinking out loud here, but probably not. When a vehicle of the other brand drives in (because while we are a dealership specific to one brand, we do oil changes on just about anything), I kinda get a bounce in my step and a bigger smile on my face. I know that may sound ridiculous to all of you, but look at it this way: Let's say you love Apple, you use it for all your technology needs and think it's just a very smooth, easy operating system, but you work for Microsoft and you have to deal with all it's problems and quirks and nonsense. Are you happy going to work every day working with that product when you yourself can't stand it? And even if you made $1000 more a month, would it matter?

Sorry, that was really long! So really, it's consider taking this body shop job, hold out here till I move up and still risk not being 100% happy, or keep holding out for a position back with the product I love being around that wouldn't require me taking a demotion and just keep coasting in neutral till then.

 

[ap.]

I don't generally give this advice but since you have a positive relationship and even a friendship with your boss, how about just telling him of this offer (once it is truly an offer - in writing!). Schedule a meeting so you won't be interrupted. You can tell him your reasons for taking it (higher pay rate, shorter commute) and not taking it (you like your boss, the people). Most bosses wouldn't begrudge a good employee much less a friend an opportunity. A good scenario would be him increasing your pay... or just giving you an okay to go so you won't have to feel guilty. Of course there are bad scenarios too so tread lightly.

 

[SunglassLove]

You're thinking too much about the big fish. I'm sure the body shop considered all things when he hunted you down and made the offer.

Don't worry about what your old boss might do. Weigh what's best for you, and that's it. Heck, if I based all my decisions career wise based on what's best for each company, I'd have NEVER moved up anywhere!

 

[lorihmatthews]

I don't consider anything a real offer until it's in writing. Plus, you don't know when that lady will retire. What if she decides to work for 5 more years? 10?

I think in order for you to make a clear decision, you need to tell the body shop to put their money where their mouth is and put it all in writing. What if they decide not to bring you on full time even if/when the other person retires?

Too much at stake here, and not enough on paper.

 

[Hatfield1313]

Good points from the last few posters. Taking it all in and simmering on all of it. I'm in no hurry, but something's definitely gotta give at some point.