Would you take less money?

[jwitten82]

About $10,000 less to work a job you don't particularly like vs one you do like and less stressful? Let's say in this situation you have no family to take care of just you.

 

[Big_D]

Depends what you're making to begin with. Cost of living, can you work from home. No problems paying bills with a pay cut? long commute? Not enough info here. But to answer the question I would definitely take less money for less stress. The more you make the more you're expected to do. I work 40 hours a week, no OT, no weekends. That's it. And I take less money to do that. Stress is not good, I've been there. Rather have my health and free time.

 

[jwitten82]

Depends what you're making to begin with. Cost of living, can you work from home. No problems paying bills with a pay cut? long commute? Not enough info here. But to answer the question I would definitely take less money for less stress. The more you make the more you're expected to do. I work 40 hours a week, no OT, no weekends. That's it. And I take less money to do that. Stress is not good, I've been there. Rather have my health and free time.

Can't work from home, only about a 30 minute commute, plus bills shouldn't be an issue, it's just me

 

[rags747]

So $10k less for a job that I don’t particularly like, NO!

 

[Runwildboys]

Did you word the query wrong, or is this the easiest brain teaser ever?

 

[Big_D]

Can't work from home, only about a 30 minute commute, plus bills shouldn't be an issue, it's just me

Wouldn't the job you don't like be more stressful? If you actually like your job, that's a different story.

 

[Mountaineerfan]

There is nothing more important than self preservation. If the job you hate is one you will eventually leave why stay? Look at future opportunities and being in a better place. I took a job that was a 7k pay cut, then 9 months later they got a 25% pay raise across the board. So that 7k ended up being a good bit more. That said I have been at the other job for 17 years now and have gain far past the other position.

 

[jwitten82]

Wouldn't the job you don't like be more stressful? If you actually like your job, that's a different story.

The job I'm at is a more stressful.

 

[jwitten82]

Did you word the query wrong, or is this the easiest brain teaser ever?

Lol my bad I worded it wrong, but the job that I don't like, more stressful pays $10,000 more

 

[jwitten82]

So $10k less for a job that I don’t particularly like, NO!

Lol I worded it wrong

 

[Runwildboys]

Lol my bad I worded it wrong, but the job that I don't like, more stressful pays $10,000 more

In that case, I'd have to say, as someone else did, it depends on the salary. If we're talking about 45k compared to 55k, I'd stick it out with the better paying job...75k compared to 85k, I'd go with the job I like.

Of course, there are other factors, such as age, debt, and opportunities, but in my current situation, I wouldn't mind having a job I like, with less stress.

 

[bigdnlaca]

Nothing is more important than your health and your personal life. If you can handle the pay cut, do that ten out of ten.

 

[Tabascocat]

Is it 10k off of 40k or off of 100k?(I don’t want the figures, just an example). It all depends on the total salary. If you can pay the bills with less money, go for it. Working a job that you hate is no bueno.

 

[nobody]

I'm with the others, it really depends on a lot of factors including how much we're talking. If you're already saving well for retirement at the less stress job, stay. If you aren't saving well for retirement (or other things), it can make a huge difference. More stress is never good.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Is it 10k off of 40k or off of 100k?(I don’t want the figures, just an example). It all depends on the total salary. If you can pay the bills with less money, go for it. Working a job that you hate is no bueno.

What he said.

 

[Hoofbite]

I was faced with this choice back in 2015. Took what ended up being about a 14% pay cut on paper but do to certain shifts paying differentials (night hours, weekends, in-charge, etc) it was probably around 10% in take home.

I lucked out and my company did some realignment and changed their compensation strategy, and I was bumped back to my previous income with the other company within about a year.

Since then, I have far surpassed what I would have made at the old company, provided I was still employed there after all their layoffs. I enjoy my job, the people I work with are great. Yes, there are frustrations like any job, but I rarely feel like I just went 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxer the way I used to.

Like others have said, it all depends on your starting point. If you can live comfortably at a lesser income, not hating a job you spend about 1/2 of your waking hours doing is a pretty good perk.

 

[VaqueroTD]

I was faced with this choice back in 2015. Took what ended up being about a 14% pay cut on paper but do to certain shifts paying differentials (night hours, weekends, in-charge, etc) it was probably around 10% in take home.

I lucked out and my company did some realignment and changed their compensation strategy, and I was bumped back to my previous income with the other company within about a year.

Since then, I have far surpassed what I would have made at the old company, provided I was still employed there after all their layoffs. I enjoy my job, the people I work with are great. Yes, there are frustrations like any job, but I rarely feel like I just went 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxer the way I used to.

Like others have said, it all depends on your starting point. If you can live comfortably at a lesser income, not hating a job you spend about 1/2 of your waking hours doing is a pretty good perk.

Same. Was making great money at one position, but was burning out quick. Took another position for less money, very soon was making similar amount. As I’ve gotten older, I truly value work life balance and health. Don’t need to be another one dying early of a heart attack, stroke or something stress-related. There is a balance. You think about now compared to 40 years ago and it’s a totally different ball game. We have so many devices that give us instant communication and demand instant results. Gone are the days of these cushy pensions and not having to be picky about healthcare coverage because it can make or break you. Large companies rule the world now in most industries, and they have their own KPI, metrics or whatever they used to determine productivity which is never set with worker health in mind. And the board is always looking to cut labor somewhere to help the shareholders. I also think the younger generation is making it even harder, integrating so much social media into normal worklife. That’s a lot of #@!& to deal with. Take care of yourself.

 

[nightrain]

About $10,000 less to work a job you don't particularly like vs one you do like and less stressful? Let's say in this situation you have no family to take care of just you.

I wouldn't leave a job I like unless the compensation to move on was appealing. Stress is part of life and working a job you don't like is about as stressful as it gets.

 

[Creeper]

Is there an opportunity for growth, meaning more money in the job that pays less?

There is stress and there is stress. For example, constant stress of failing like Lucy working on an assembly line that is running so fast she can't keep up is intolerable and constant. The stress of getting a phone call from the CEO of a fortune 50 bank and he is asking why the funds transfer system is $40 billion out of proof, oh, and he has the Chairman of the NY Fed on the other line, is heart attack level stress but it goes away once the problem is solved and its a bit different.

I would not tolerate the first kind of stress at any compensation.

Then there is bad boss stress. No, and hell no. Never work for an ayatollah, ever! Find a new job even if it takes you months. Bad bosses are like a cancer that eats you from the inside out and it never ends well. Either he goes or you go. And it could be you whether you want to or not. Leave on your terms (unless you think you can outlast him.)

At the end of the day, only you can determine how much loss of income you can tolerate. But if the lower salary pays the bills, I would take it to get our of a bad situation. It cost me a few Shekels to get out of a bad marriage. But in the end it was well worth it.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

About $10,000 less to work a job you don't particularly like vs one you do like and less stressful? Let's say in this situation you have no family to take care of just you.

It depends on other factors, especially cost of living, and whether I have to spend time on a commute and how much. For example, 70K will go a lot farther in Omaha than it will in Los Angeles or New York City. If I got offered 80K to live and work in NYC or LA, but I got offered 70K for a job in Omaha, I'm taking the Omaha one. That's a no brainer. They would have to offer me much, much more to live in one of those more-expensive cities.
....
After living in Denver, I also vowed never again to get stuck in a job with a horrible commute. It used to take me an hour to get to work and and hour to get home, and it was even worse in bad weather. Never again. Then there are other considerations like health care plan, and if vacation time is offered.