Dropping companies in the **** w.r.t. work

Soldato
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Rightio,

Managed to get my self into a situation where I will probably end up dropping my current company in the crap with regards to work.

I left a company to move back to newcastle for a now ex girlfriend and took a job on lower pay but still for a very large with good prospects to move up, but the promise of the type of work I was doing wasn't met and for the past year I have been doing FEA/Downstream Work, which has given me some good experience but its boring.

However I have now been asked by my old company to come and work for them (back in aberdeen) doing heavy lift and deep water engineers (heavy lift >7000tonnes) and deep water think Gulf/Africa/Caspian aswell as deepwater pipelines which is a lot more interesting and opens me up to a lot of travel and better engineering jobs for when I go for my chartership in the next couple of years.

The problem comes is that in this office I work in a small team where we all get along (most of the time) and my boss is a really nice guy, but in the next few weeks he has lost a senior engineer (retirement) a trainee foundation uni person (operation on knee - 2months out) which leaves me, a naval arch and a technical director, I've had worries about this for a while and the new offer is perfect but how would you feel about dropping someone who has been a good boss to you in the crap because he will lose his engineers (and hasn't tried recruiting anyone to replace the retiring senior engineer either).

Sorry for the long bit, I know what my answer is, get out its work and you have to do whats right for you but doesn't make it any easier when i'm going to hand in my notice next week.

KaHn
 
Soldato
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Look after number 1

Simple truth - you might feel guilty, but would they do the same in the situation if the roles were reversed?
 
Soldato
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If changing is what you want, then do it. Tell your boss at the earliest possible opportunity - maybe take him out to lunch if you get on well. Explain the situation. If you feel bad and there is anything you can do to ease the transition to a new person, or maybe even support some on-going activities from home at evenings or weekends, offer to.
 
Man of Honour
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It's admirable that you have a conscience KaHn and it will rankle with some people but what does your heart say ?

It is rarely, if ever, wrong about the right thing to do and the fact you have posted about it sugggest to me that you are very tempted.
 
Soldato
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Indeed, if they were in a situation where dropping you would be beneficial for the company, then they would not hesitate. Sadly, goodwill and sentimentality in the workplace these days are weaknesses that are ruthlessly exploited. All in my IMHO of course.
 
Soldato
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Von, I have no doubt on what I am doing, I am taking the job, I moved back for the wrong reasons and the oppourtunity to move back to what I want to do doesn't come along like this every day.

My problem is the guilt I am feeling about dropping them in the poo.

KaHn
 
Soldato
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Indeed, if they were in a situation where dropping you would be beneficial for the company, then they would not hesitate. Sadly, goodwill and sentimentality in the workplace these days are weaknesses that are ruthlessly exploited. All in my IMHO of course.

Think you're right about that, he's away on holiday at the moment aswell so will return 1 week into my notice period :o

KaHn
 
Soldato
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As long as you've told your to be ex boss about the situation in enough time then it is up to him to ensure he has the correct staff.
He seems awfully silly for not even attempting to replace the bloke who is retiring, let alone you.
 
Soldato
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As said, all you can do in this scenario is to give your current boss as much notice as possible that you're out of there.

To be fair, if he hasnt bothered recruiting any other engineers, that really is not your fault at all. Companies know that staff choose to leave, and should have some kind of plan for when this occurs.
 
Soldato
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Alright KaHn. He should have looked into recruiting someone else for when the other guy retires. If you were promised a different type of work but it was not met then I would look at getting out and back to the other company.

Maybe ask if the opportunity for this type of work is available still and keep the other job quiet, if nothing comes of what he says or he says not at the moment then hand your notice in. No point in being a tit about it, you still want him as a referee (and sound like a nice guy too) so just explain you have been offered your old job back with a lot more money and deep water type stuff.

I's sure he would be decent about it
 
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Associate
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Its quite admirable that you have this sort of respect for your boss, as I too was in the same predicament with regards to work.

I think you should do what's right for you, regardless.
 
Soldato
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As long as you've told your to be ex boss about the situation in enough time then it is up to him to ensure he has the correct staff.
He seems awfully silly for not even attempting to replace the bloke who is retiring, let alone you.

This is what has really phased me, that he hasn't wanted to replace him (hes actually brought back another engineer who has retired to help out, and is planning on doing the same with the other one) also the type of work which is coming in is crap so I really want away from that, I could move offices with in the company but doubt I'd be given the same pay/position jump I am getting from moving on.

KaHn
 
Soldato
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Alright KaHn. He should have looked into recruiting someone else for when the other guy retires. If you were promised a different type of work but it was not met then I would look at getting out and back to the other company.

Maybe ask if the opportunity for this type of work is available still and keep the other job quiet, if nothing comes of what he says or he says not at the moment then hand your notice in. No point in being a tit about it, you still want him as a referee (and sound like a nice guy too) so just explain you have been offered your old job back with a lot more money and deep water type stuff.

I's sure he would be decent about it

I forgot to say I've been offered the other job, I am waiting for the contract to be sent for signatures etc.

KaHn
 
Soldato
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Your boss is only in that situation because he hasn't recruited a replacement senior engineer. The guy with the bad knee will be back in a couple of months and all will be right with the world.

Definitely go for the other job.
 
Soldato
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Your boss is only in that situation because he hasn't recruited a replacement senior engineer. The guy with the bad knee will be back in a couple of months and all will be right with the world.

Definitely go for the other job.

The other lad with the bad knee is a trainee, similiar to an apprentice, I've been training him along with the other naval arch here.

KaHn
 
Man of Honour
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If it helps Kahn, I have a similar story.

Before I joined the rozzers, I worked in a job where I was headhunted by a former boss but after 18 months or so it was clear that I wasn't happy there and I applied for the cops and failed my first attempt.

I really did want to tell my line manager who came looking for me that I had applied and was going through the selection process but decided not to.

Anyway, on the day I was told I had been offered a place, my boss was away on business and I phoned him straight away to tell him and explain my reasons for doing so. He very much appreciated the fact that I contacted him first to tell him.

I felt guilty because I had been headhunted and in a way I also felt I was letting him down but he was very supportive of me doing what I wanted to do.

His words were more or less look after number 1.
 
Soldato
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Well done on getting your other job back. I imagine your current boss might get annoyed but this will only be because he will be losing someone good (presumably!?) and has not thought about replacing the senior engineer. He has basically screwed himself really, plus he hasnt offered better work to you.

Tell him to move to leeds and give me a job! (tell him he needs 1st/2nd line IT support for his business to succeed)
 
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