It has been a long, strange trip back to employment for me.
I was laid off in 2010 when my employer closed offices in Colorado (we are an auditing firm and the client we worked with moved to Florida). I was out of work for nearly a year when my employer called and said, "Can you come help with some backlogged work in Florida for about 3 months?" Of course I could, and did. 6 months later, they were getting ready to send me home to Colorado and back to unemployment when they found that they needed me in California for 2 months. 6 months later, they sent me home to Colorado as a part-time/as-needed employee. I have been doing between 0 and 50 hours of work a week for them since then, probably averaging about 15 hours a week-but it has been spotty. There have been good business reasons that I have not been employed full-time-so I have no complaints.
I have been looking for full-time work since then and two weeks ago was offered a full-time position. It would be a step backwards in responsibility, pay and position-but it is full-time and permanent. Great-I accepted the job from not-quite-as-good employer and told current employer that I would be able to continue working on current projects, but that they would no longer be my priority.
Then today, current employer let me know that a position has come open that would bring me back full-time, with some travel but not as much as before, full benefits and will allow me to keep my time in service. Great. The reasons they have not had me back full-time before have changed, so this is a permanent position. And I am accepting. Huzzah!!!!
Not quite as good employer is closed today, so tomorrow I have to call and let them know that I will not be starting next week after all. I hate to do it to them, as I know they were looking forward to having someone with my experience and skills in the position. But I cannot turn down a 35% better salary, better benefits (vacation in particular) and a job that isn't a step backwards.
Any suggestions on how to word things so as to char the bridges only slightly (as opposed to burning them right to the ground)?