I wouldn't presume to tell anyone what to do, as every individual has different circumstances, but for me, sticking with EZY is the way to go.
I became a pilot because I love flying. The flying I do at EZY can be hard work, but also incredibly challenging and rewarding. When the conditions are appropriate and my colleague is sat next to me, I am able to take all the automation out, FDs off, ATHR off, and fly it like a Seneca again. I found IR training too hard to particularly enjoy flying raw data non-precision approaches. Now I find them very enjoyable, and a good healthy stretch of the technical, non-technical and handling skills.
A raw data manual thrust SID out of one of the Greek Islands, or a visual into Valencia is thoroughly enjoyable if you're moderately competent with the aircraft (although many fellow pilots, at EZY and elsewhere, are sometimes a bit too nervous to do things like that, but the company has a sensible automation policy that allows, and when appropriate, encourages it)
However I became a commercial pilot in my early 20s when I was young, free and single. I had nobody else to worry about other than myself. That is no longer the case, I'm in my 30s, and have wifey and kids, plus live much much closer to my elderly grandparents than my parents do (30 mins vs 4-5 hours). Being home nearly every night is important to me, and to the missus and the little ones. There are a few scheduled night-stops out of LGW, only 3 currently (LIN, MAD & INV), with an early and a late rotation. Unscheduled night-stops are rare (only 2 in the last 5 years, one due to missing a slot and therefore exceeding 2 hours of discretion before pushback, the other due to AOG down route in a non-base). There are out-of-base trips to cover annual leave in smaller bases, or where they've had crew leave for new pastures, but these are not too common. Many captains commute (and stay in the airport hotel) so are happy to pick up trips like that and save on their hotel bills.
We have good scheduling and rostering agreements in the UK, things like no pre-6am starts on Day 1 of a block, an ability to refuse (or accept, for a cash compensation) short notice disruption changes (starting/finishing more than 2 hours earlier/later, short notice night-stops), total ability to refuse to work into days off (so much as getting off the plane and going home, flights have been cancelled as a result but days off are days OFF, however the payment for working into days off could and should be a bit better) and fatigue mitigation such as transition control, and an unchallenging fatigue reporting system. Never have I had to justify calling in fatigued, or offloading myself as fatigued, or where commanders discretion has been refused, or used to reduce FDP/increase rest.
The pay is pretty great actually. The problem is the UK taxation of that pay.
I don't think anybody can earn £105k basic, plus up to 15% loyalty, plus annual performance bonus, plus £15k+ sector pay, plus 2 weeks/£3000 tax-free performance shares, and say they don't earn enough.
But many people are maxing out their pension contributions to £40k including the company's 7%, just to try get under the £100k mark and avoid that 62% taxation band. Already many are looking to 75% or 50% part time, to reduce their tax as much as improve their lifestyle. If/when the government reduce the 40% pension tax relief I can see even more part time requests coming in.
Then theres the company share schemes... BAYE were you can buy £1800 shares a year and the company will match it (up to £1500). Or SAYE where you save an amount up to £300 a month, for 3 years, and get to buy the shares at the original 20% discounted offer price, or at worst, take all your money back. A zero-risk savings, worst case you get 0% return on it, best case, more than double in 3 years.
The trick with EZY is to not get stressed and worked up by things you can't control. Summer at Gatwick is a $hitshow. Everything turns to brown stuff. But you can't help the ground handling problems, you have no control over it. So you don't worry too much, you control what you can. You exercise discretion, or you don't. You work into a day off, or you refuse. If your duty is 4 hours late, then your report is delayed the next day. If you're not fit for it then you go FTGD. As long as you treat a working day as a working day and don't make any plans that can't be cancelled last minute, then you don't get too upset by it all.
I hear many of the FRV guys have nearly all their weekends off as well. Fixed pattern with the Preference Bidding we can bid for earlies or lates. 2 sectors or 4. Nightstops or not. The random roster guys can also bid for particular days off, ie for a birthday or wedding, or weekend away etc.
For those of us who aren't that bothered by long haul (I get severely bored on a long SH sector, Greek Islands, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt etc if my colleague is not especially chatty) and dread the thought of an 8+ hour flight, or some of the extra long haul stuff, and that like being in their own bed nearly every night, and like knowing NOW that they're going to be off on Saturday 25th September 2021 for their 20th wedding anniversary party or whatever, or the kids sports day/school play/etc, then EZY is probably one of the best.
Things could definitely be better. But they are a damn sight worse in some other LCCs.
The grass is always greener. Except when it isn't.