Volunteer to take a large pay cut?

dave k. · November 27, 2005 2:18PM

Has anyone on these boards ever volunteered to take a large pay cut? I am in a very badly run company that I just hate working for. The actual day-to-day stuff is okay. I don't love it nor hate it.

I am however in a very specialized area and have a very good salary. In looking for a non-specialized position, I have realized that I am facing about a 15 to 20 thousand dollar per year pay cut.

My job has been very stressful for both at work and at home for the past four years. I am having a really tough time trying to figure things out.

Anyone have any advice?

Thanks

Dave

justin · November 27, 2005 2:43PM

Hi there,

Quote:

Has anyone on these boards ever volunteered to take a large pay cut? I am in a very badly run company that I just hate working for. The actual day-to-day stuff is okay. I don't love it nor hate it.

Yes....I returned to university so my pay halved in proportion to hours I dropped, but perhaps I feel all the more sane in front of my books instead of doing the gerbil wheel. Making a decision like that was awful - the material lifestyle that unconsciously grew around me - the sports car and sexy sportsbike, the yuppie apartment and long nights out, swaggering into one night club after another - all of that went out overnight.

Guess I grew up looking back a lot. That's probably why it's taken me years before I've been able to afford an Apple! Not having any dependents made the decision easier; I guess at the age some of you guys are at, pragmatic decisions will determine whether you stay at a job which is a spiritual and personal dead-end, on the grounds of convenience, family, lethargy or lack of motivation to change.

One colleague who was nominated 'employee' of the month before I left resonates in my mind: she stayed in late at work well into 9pm which made our boss really happy. When her mother was sick in hospital, she still stayed late and refused to go home. When her husband was having an affair and later divorced, she was still at work. When her children were referred to a shrink, she was still doing long hours. She retired from the company at 45 years. I guess looking at other people's lives, I'm struck sometimes by the inability of even the most laudable person to make an existential choice.

Don't know if that helps, but thought you might want to hear another take...

dave k. · November 27, 2005 2:50PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Justin

Hi there,

Yes....I returned to university so my pay halved in proportion to hours I dropped, but perhaps I feel all the more sane in front of my books instead of doing the gerbil wheel. Making a decision like that was awful - the material lifestyle that unconsciously grew around me - the sports car and sexy sportsbike, the yuppie apartment and long nights out, swaggering into one night club after another - all of that went out overnight.

Guess I grew up looking back a lot. That's probably why it's taken me years before I've been able to afford an Apple! Not having any dependents made the decision easier; I guess at the age some of you guys are at, pragmatic decisions will determine whether you stay at a job which is a spiritual and personal dead-end, on the grounds of convenience, family, lethargy or lack of motivation to change.

One colleague who was nominated 'employee' of the month before I left resonates in my mind: she stayed in late at work well into 9pm which made our boss really happy. When her mother was sick in hospital, she still stayed late and refused to go home. When her husband was having an affair and later divorced, she was still at work. When her children were referred to a shrink, she was still doing long hours. She retired from the company at 45 years. I guess looking at other people's lives, I'm struck sometimes by the inability of even the most laudable person to make an existential choice.

Don't know if that helps, but thought you might want to hear another take...

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

In my position, I work 8 hrs a day for 40 hrs per week. No overtime. I get 3 weeks of vacation, 14 holidays, 8 sick days per year. My employer matches dollar for dollar up to 6% for my 401K.

At times I think I am really stupid for even thinking of leaving (who likes their employer right?).

But the stress of working there 8 hrs a day for 40 hrs per week is very difficult for me and my family (married nearly ten years with two little children).

Thanks again for your help.

Dave

anders · November 27, 2005 3:00PM

I don´t think I understand.

Are you asked to take a pay cut or are you just looking for a better job but can´t find anything with the same salary?

Do you hate the job or is it okay?

Is it the 40 hours a day that are driving you crazy?

justin · November 27, 2005 3:17PM

Anders,

what's there not to understand?

An unpleasant relationship with a boss [superior] and his employee for 8 hours x 5 days for 49 weeks is a huge psychological burden for anyone to walk into, day in and day out. Most of us have at some point wanted to walk away from a relationship which is too fraught to sort out, particularly if there all sorts of demands from our fixed role as a mere employee.

Even if an employee works 40 hours, the stress from that 40 hours can carry on into life-after-work.

It's the quality [meaning] of life which work enables us to look forward to - maybe that's what matters to me. Some guys struggle with even 20 minutes in an interview/presentation and would rather hope into a getaway car than put up with that....

kmok1 · November 27, 2005 11:12PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave K.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

In my position, I work 8 hrs a day for 40 hrs per week. No overtime. I get 3 weeks of vacation, 14 holidays, 8 sick days per year. My employer matches dollar for dollar up to 6% for my 401K.

At times I think I am really stupid for even thinking of leaving (who likes their employer right?).

But the stress of working there 8 hrs a day for 40 hrs per week is very difficult for me and my family (married nearly ten years with two little children).

Thanks again for your help.

Dave

Dave,

After 7 yrs w/ my company, I had it and quit. I went to Europe and enjoyed life. Now I am searching again. FYI, I am single and I have nothing to lose.

If you are not happy, then there is a problem. All your job benefits are meaningless if you are unable to spend them happily.

Let's do some math. You work 8 hrs per day. I assume that you sleep 8 hrs per day. How do you spend the other 8 hrs? If your family is suffering, then I guess you should spend the 8 hrs with them. Spend 1/2 hr to play with your kids. Take them to a park. Take piano lessons together. Hire a babysitter then take your wife out on the town. Don't forget about yourself. Go to the gym, take it out on the punching bag. Go to the driving range, take it out on the balls.

If you feel your manager has some understanding, talk and see what you two can fix. A properly trained manager knows that stress in job and family life with their employee will lead to poor company results. See what you can do before quitting.

Good luck.

store_bot · November 28, 2005 5:15PM

Please pardon me for being rude but what is there to complain about where you work a standard 8 hours a day at a job? I'm not in the IT field so maybe it is different in your type of business but cripes, i work more than 40 hours a week, sometimes weekends, never take vacation because i am to paranoid that decisions will be made without my consent, and get paid, well, by the sound of things, a heck of a lot less than you do. From my standpoint it sounds like I could work less, get paid more, have more free time, and actually use my vacation just by taking over your crappy job. Sloppy seconds never sounded so desireable. Excuse my prodding but what is the issue?

nofeer · November 28, 2005 9:52PM

perhaps you need evaluation for depression, i'm not joking, lots of times your perspective is colored by depression. please get evaluated it's under evaluated and there are now many drugs that can help. maybe you feel you have little choice because of depresion not your work. your world is what you perceive it to be. consider this.

midwinter · November 28, 2005 10:55PM

There is no amount of money in the world worth being miserable for.

dave k. · November 29, 2005 1:57AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NOFEER

perhaps you need evaluation for depression, i'm not joking, lots of times your perspective is colored by depression. please get evaluated it's under evaluated and there are now many drugs that can help. maybe you feel you have little choice because of depresion not your work. your world is what you perceive it to be. consider this.

I have never really considered this. I will contact my doctor.

Thanks

Dave

anders · November 30, 2005 6:26AM

I was serious in my questions. I really didn´t have a clear picture of the problem, esp. because objectively his working conditions are very normal and not tough in any way (I don´t try to discount the subjective ones, since they can be of much higher influence) and of these two very different statements:

Quote:

I am in a very badly run company that I just hate working for. The actual day-to-day stuff is okay. I don't love it nor hate it.

I am very conscious about what and why I do things jobwise and always try to work out benefits and drawbacks of alternatives. In your situation I would probably do this:

1) Figure out how much I (and my family) would be able and ready to sacrifice economically for a better life for me and through that the family as a whole. That includes moving, taking up other life styles etc.

2) Look for a job that gives enough income to fulfill 1) and gives you better satisfaction. When you have a reasonable certainty that you will be able to find such a job or actually have it, then

3) Go to your boss or his superiour and tell them about your feelings about your situation and that you need some changes (don´t nessesary tell them that you are actively looking for a new job). Make a few suggestions, either put you under a new boss, changes in the organisation of the work or other stuff that would make the wrk bareable again. Be constructive, not confrontational. Don´t make the concrete suggestions sound like ultimatums, let it be up to them to make the nessesay changes. But make it clear that they need to make the changes to be able to hold on to you. If nothing happens then quit. Nothing positive will ever happen in an organisation that won´t take clues from workers making constructive suggestions.

Volunteer to take a large pay cut?

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