Career Advice Question

Ok, I get it now. I'd be loathe to leave a pension too.

Choose physical danger. You could get workers' comp which = money. Also, don't run towards the drama you don't know. Stick with the drama (in this case danger) that you do know. Most jobs suck! The devil you know.

For me, it would depend on the kind of danger. Dangerous machinery? Maybe. Violent men? Hell no.

Yes it’s a transfer! I wanted to leave my current job due to safety concerns. An analogy that doesn’t quite fit is if my current job was in jail and the new job was at an office.

This is a very helpful summation and also provides additional context into the nature of the toxicity in the department you'd be going back to - and it sounds like there's been a lot.

Personally, I think you need more information about who exactly you're be working with and reporting to, and feel those people out.

Then weigh that against what you'd be leaving - a good boss and coworkers, with lots of flexilibity, but danger.

Like exactly how toxic would your new environment be vs the exact nature of the danger you'd be leaving? I mentioned in another comment that I could handle dangerous machinary, but I couldn't handle violent men.

On the flipside, I can handle a backstabby environment, but I couldn't handle someone telling me to shut up in meetings. So what exactly would you be facing on your new team, especially after all the recent departures? Were the troublemakers fired, or was it other people? What exactly would you be dealing with every day? I'd want more info.

Keep in mind, your mileage may vary, as will your tolerance for risk. I left my last job because I finally snapped. Like I said, I can handle tough people, but I could no longer handle doing everyone else's jobs for them (including my boss's), being ignored in meetings, and being unable to do my job because people wouldn't do theirs. I was literally shipping projects that didn't get made because they sat in people's inboxes for weeks until I threw a fit.

The final straw for me was a senior executive dumping her work on me, then disappearing for a week and turning off her phone. She was not my boss, had no authority over me, our work did not overlap, and I had no idea how to finish her project. When I complained to my boss, he told me to suck it up. I wanted to burn the building down. I had a new job offer in my hands 2 months later and my boss was sO sHoCkEd and angry when I resigned.

I tell you this story because situations are incredibly nuanced and fact specific. I would 1,000% prefer operating dangerous machinary than go back to that hellhole. If I were a prison guard in a maximum security prison dealing with rapists every day, I would take my old job and find a way to suck it up.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I mentioned in another comment that you should ask for more money if you're getting a higher title. The way I would do this is by googling job data for the new title and bringing it with you to any job discussions. When they ask, say according to the data, the new job is a range of X to Y, then stop talking. Let the facts speak for you.

Thank you for your answer!!! Yes I wish I could say what I do on here!! Rape is a possibility at my job, because I have been followed to my car and propositioned for sex by the people I see for work. Another example is someone tried to choke my coworker. I don’t think it’s a matter of if something happens to me or someone else, but when. I think major changes need to be made at my current role to improve safety but that would require a large budget.

I can’t ask for a higher salary due to the union 😭 our salaries are predetermined and locked in and I maxed it out.

Re your first paragraph, that is terrifying. If this is the situation, yeah, I would GTFO and move to the other department.

I would still try to vet the latter (as much as possible) so at least you can say you're going in eyes wide open and avoid getting blindsideded. Know who the problem people are upfront so you're prepared.

Long term: I would be reading up on how to network and looking into networking opportunities so you can start building outside relationships now, so you can leverage them and go where you want in 3 years once your pension comes in. This might require joining a networking group, taking strangers to coffee to gather intel, or getting certifications in another field, so good to take advantage of the time you have.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. This makes sense.

How much do you trust this coworker that her intel is accurate? Since it sounds like she's been the only source of info for all this drama. Does she think the well is poisoned for you?

Do you know the specifics of your new team and who you'd be reporting to and what they're like? Dynamics, including drama, can vary incredibly within a department. Your specific team and boss can make or break your experience.

Right now I get the sense you don't have enough info about your new position and are trying to guess what it's like over there.

She says it is much better than what I do now in terms of safety and driving. Which I agree lol. But she keeps telling me “don’t trust anybody here. People will stab you in the back. People gossip. Etc etc.” I can handle some workplace drama and things like cold or impolite people. But I can’t handle it when people are hostile or if it will affect my work.

Me neither. How much have you talked with your future boss and team? You might feel more confident about your decision once you've felt them out more to see what they're like and if any of them would be a problem. It's really hard to guess these things without more fact gathering.

If they seem like decent people (no hostility) AND your coworker can't give you specific evidence that the well is irreparably poisoned in that department, I'd lean toward taking the new position. Especially if it'd get you out of a physically dangerous environment.

I don't know where you're at in the transfer process, but if you're getting a higher title, I would ask about an increase in pay.