Decisions.....................

I hope no one from work is reading my blog (I doubt they are). I just got a job offer from a really cool company. The pay is a fair bit higher than what I make now, I'll get a generous sign on bonus and two weeks paid vacation right up front. Great 401k plan and they offer a lot of employee appreciation perks throughout the year.

But I've been with my current employer for close to 13..yes THIRTEEN years so I'd be leaving a certain level of comfort and a slew of wonderful acquaintances behind. They want to know by Monday (the 3rd) at the very latest. My boss has been on business in Brazil this week along with our H.R. director. They'll be back here this afternoon, at which time I mean to inform them of the pending offer. This is huge. I am pretty nervous leaving what I have been accustomed to for so long, and yet I need to do what is best from a financial standpoint for my family. I would like to hope that my current employer would at least offer to match the salary I am being offered, but they have a history of putting ego and pride before the good of the company. I fill a very unique role here, and for them to find a replacement is going to take probably a few months at the very least, and even then, that person will be expecting a wage close to that which I have been offered and they will have a steep learning curve in regards to our systems. I wouldn't ever want to be my replacement. I also have a feeling that if I leave, the guy on second shift who does some of what I do will be asked to come to first shift and take over. I am 90% sure he will quite rather than come to first shift, he has his entire lifestyle based on 2nd shift, he is at home during the day with his son, and his wife works running her flower shop during the day. So my leaving could really be damaging to the company. We'll see what happens though.
I'll post an update tonight or sometime this weekend as to the outcome of my meeting with management today.

I feel bad for them in a way, gone for a week to Brazil and they come back to a key member of the staff who is about to leave. Glad I'm not them.