has anyone ever taken a job for less?

[MooreBonds]

In 2007 (at the ripe age of 31), I left the family business to try a new career where I was getting away from a truly toxic environment (both family and construction contracting were combining to create an unbearable environment). The one thing I had going for me was a great bonus from finishing off a project, as well as several years of relatively high salary/bonuses. I accepted roughly a 15% initial salary cut, plus a 20% retirement plan contribution cut (total about 35%). Oh, and then my new employer cut everyone's salary by 15% after 1 year there due to the 2008 meltdown (endured that for 2 whole years, where my new position was at a whopping 50% or so below what I had been at).

Was it worth it? Well, it was the first time I'd be working for a non-family member. For the first 6 months, I thought I had made a mistake, given the personality traits of my new boss. However, I learned to deal with him, and eventually realized that it was truly less stressful (and relatively more enjoyable) than my previous career.

My words of advice: Make sure that what you are transitioning to is truly better, and not just your current feeling of "the grass is always greener over there"....and to avoid realizing that once you're "over there", the grass actually wasn't greener, just a different shade of the same green, with different bullsh*t you have to deal with.

If it's a cut in salary that's not insurmountable (and only delays ER by 1 year out of 10 years), and you think there might be fiscal benefits to your move down the road, then go for it! Just make sure you're not going to be substituting one load of crap for another load once you make the switch.

 

[obgyn65]

No, but I would have no problem changing if it means that I am happier with the new less paying job.

Has anyone ever taken a job for less ?

 

[lhamo]

I left my previous position with nothing lined up and my options wide open -- but it was after they tried to cut my salary 20%, so I pretty munch knew my future there was limited, to say the least.

I ended up getting a job that paid about 20% less than my previous position, but had much better work-life balance and benefits. My share of health insurance and copays/deductibles dropped significantly, and I started getting a major employer-funded retirement benefit at 1 year in (starting with 7.5% -- it will go up to 10% when I hit 5 years in next year, and up to 12% in another five years if I am still there). I also went from working for a totally sociopathic boss (not kidding -- he had already driven one person to a nervous breakdown and I wasn't far from one when I left) to working for a real mensch. I still have some areas of frustration/dysfunction to deal with in my new job, but it is much more manageable than the previous one. I am mostly able to leave work at work and enjoy my time at home with my family on evenings and weekends. I have a horrible commute, and new boss won't let me work from home more than occassionally, but that is really the only downside. I have gotten substantial raises each year and am now pretty much back to where I was when I left the old place. I might have gotten some cost of living adjustments there but not likely I would have gotten raises -- and that's assuming I managed to stay out of inpatient psych facilities, which is not a given considering how close to the edge I was when I left.

Also, don't underestimate how much you spend in compensating for a stressful work environment. I hardly ever feel the need to treat myself anymore, and I have energy for cost-saving shopping and cooking strategies on the weekend that help me save money that I probably would have been spending on convenience type stuff.

I'd go for the new position myself, given the factors you described.

lhamo

 

[cj]

Yes, I have. I once quit a top-paying job with no job in hand because the boss was the most offensive man I ever worked for.... Who I work for and my work conditions are very important to me. Life is too short to suffer.

Ed

I could have written that. I was 40 and working for a bully boss in an extremely toxic environment at a mega-corp. Went home crying many nights. Ironically, they thought I was very good at what I did and just kept piling it on. In the midst of all that stress, I was diagnosed with breast cancer (hmmm - is there a link there?) After surgeries, chemo, and a fair amount of time off and when I was getting healthy, I put in for a downgrade. The toxic group said I couldn't leave, that they needed me. I said, I've been out for 3 months and you got along just fine. So I took the downgrade to a much better group (for me). A year later I left mega-corp after 22 years. I thought I was just going to hang on until I could get retirement, but then I figured, heck, in 8 years I could be dead, why be miserable??

Life is too short. Do what makes you happy.

P.S. I just retired after 15 years at the company-after-megacorp. Never once regretted my decision. It was an awesome company and the perfect environment for me.

 

[pb4uski]

I did once take a job for about 20% less than what I was making at the time. I coincided with a move to a more rural area and while I was making 20% less, I found that my cost of living was less as well and overall my quality of life was much better.

A friend of mine changed jobs a few years ago and is much more reinvigorated and enjoys his new job immensely - so much so that even though he is FI and could RE, he is still working.

Go with your gut.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Who I work for and my work conditions are very important to me. Life is too short to suffer.

The fact that you are considering it tells us that your work conditions are important to you as well. Listen to your heart.

Ed

Smartest man in the room.
I have quit quite a few jobs. Money was never the reason I quit, never the reason I accepted the next one. If you are suffering now, no amount of money will make up for that.

If the new job is interesting, challenging, and offers a work climate that is well-suited to your temperament, then I'd take it regardless of it being a cut from your current pay. I've found that even when I took a job for less, in no time at all I'd be back to evens paywise.

 

[ziggy29]

I hope to someday, as a bridge between my current j*b and full retirement. I can regularly feel what job stress is doing to my body and it's just not worth it above and beyond what we need for a reasonable standard of living.

If other issues (spousal/investment income, health insurance, etc.) were adequately addressed, I'd quit tomorrow and look for something I'd prefer to do, probably part-time.

 

[Walt34]

A couple of times and no regrets either.

I transferred from uniform patrol to a fraud unit and took about a $6k effective pay cut because there was lots of overtime in patrol and very little in fraud. But what I got was straight day work, no rotating shifts, with weekends and holidays off and a lot less stress.

Six months later people were saying "Wow, you look a lot better" so that one was a no-brainer.

The second time was when we moved to WV. Had we stayed in the DC area and I'd gone to work for one of the "Beltway Bandit" contractors and DW stayed at her job our income would now be ~$300k/year. Even in DC that's a very comfortable income.

Six months after we moved one of my sisters said "You two look more relaxed that I've seen you in years". You can't buy that.

Come to find out there are a lot of people in WV who have made that choice.

 

[ronocnikral]

I recently left for "less pay." While I got a $20k bump in salary, I walked away from one of the best 401(k) matching plans out there, a vested defined benefit plan and significant bonuses (~20-30% of base pay). I have some of the worse benefits in my industry, but the improvement in life (because of location) has left my wife and I with no regrets.

 

[Vaca]

This would be the second time I will need to make a similar decision. Occasionally, life will make the decision for you like being unemployed versus accepting a much lower paying part-time job I would never otherwise consider is a no brainer. Having to make the decision is harder because if it doesn't work out, you would only have yourself to blame for your circumstances. Based on your posting, since it would not affect your quality of life or greatly impact your retirement plus you made the new job and trade off sound great, my advice is go for it. Worst case scenario, unless you are contracted to your new job for set number of years, you can always leave and look for better. A few of my friends signed contracts for minimum of 3 years but they were so miserable they wanted to break their contracts and were willing to face the consequences. They did it for a $30K+ sign-on bonus and huge compensation packages. All survived it and vowed never to do it again but the money is hard to pass up for most so few "did it" again.
Ultimate decision, quality of life or less pay but a difference that won’t affect impact your life much or derail you retirement. I wish you the best. I just wish my choice is that simple.

 

[Surewhitey]

Yep here. Went into sales in 03. In 05 got out. Went from making $90k+ to $65k (office job). Didn't really enjoy sales and the hours (irregular) and DW didn't like leaving for work and me in my skibby's drinking coffee while I "did" emails.

After I went back to the office, she noticed the house wasn't as clean and we hired a lawn guy...

In hindsight, probably a good thing as my big client got gobbled up by another and I would have lost the biz anyhoo in 08.

 

[Dreamer]

It's only money. You can get more of that some other place and find another path to retirement. Once you destroy your health, though, it's hard to get that back.

My DH put up with his psycho boss until he no longer could. He has not worked since 05/2010 and his mental health has not improved. I am sure that he will not ever work again. I had hoped that his mental health would improve once he was away from work, but so far it has not. Money is not everything.

 

[Sarah in SC]

My DH put up with his psycho boss until he no longer could. He has not worked since 05/2010 and his mental health has not improved. I am sure that he will not ever work again. I had hoped that his mental health would improve once he was away from work, but so far it has not. Money is not everything.

Wow, dreamer, I am sorry to hear that. I worry a lot about the toll my DHs job is taking on him and have thought all along that he'd be happier when he quit. That isn't always the case.

 

[FreeAtLast]

I once left a job that paid very well, however, I worked extremely long hours and new owners came in. They offered me a new position as they were hiring someone to fill my position. I did feel comfortable with what was happening so I told them I would wind down the position that I had and leave.

I took less money initially but move on to something even better than I had.

 

[ziggy29]

Wow, dreamer, I am sorry to hear that. I worry a lot about the toll my DHs job is taking on him and have thought all along that he'd be happier when he quit. That isn't always the case.

I know my wife has a lot of the same concerns about me and she really wants to help me get out and pursue other low-pay (or no-pay) options that are better for my physical and mental health. That in turn increases my guilt and stress, feeling like my inability to adequately cope with corporate BS is putting more pressure on her. Sigh.

 

[nbw888]

I was told years ago that there are 3 things to consider in a job:

1. Good pay

2. Good people

3. Opportunity to grow

If you don't have 2 of these 3 things, it's time to reconsider your job. It's good advice!

 

[tulak]

I was told years ago that there are 3 things to consider in a job:

1. Good pay

2. Good people

3. Opportunity to grow

If you don't have 2 of these 3 things, it's time to reconsider your job. It's good advice!

I would say #2 is requirement. If you're not working with good people, or more broadly, a good work environment, then odds are high you'll eventually be unhappy with your job.

 

[tulak]

I've taken the new job and gave notice last week. I ended up with a pretty good deal at the new job. They are bringing me in at a higher level, so the cut isn't as bad. I was hesitant to come in at a higher level, but in talking with my new manager, I think it'll be fine.

The interesting part was giving notice at the old job. My manager didn't take it well and punted it to his manager, who ended up being very understanding. He said he always thought me to be a hard worker, etc, and wished me the best. I don't think my manager expected that one.

What has been great is telling other people and hearing their thoughts. Everyone has been really positive about me leaving, something I was worried about since my timing isn't the best. But overall, no concerns. What's interesting is that there are many that feel the same way I did, stuck in their career with good pay/benis, but realize the work environment sucks and their time there might be running out. Fortunately, I think all of them would be fine, since they are good at what they do, they just need to update the resume and brush up on their interviewing skills. In our industry, there's plenty of work.

Now I have two more weeks at this job, a two week break to relax, and then I start the new job. I'm happier than I've been in a long time, which even my wife has noticed. I did very little yesterday except relax, which I haven't done in a long time. I think today might be similar. It still hasn't fully sunk in, but having an end date for my current job really takes a lot of pressure off.

Thanks again to everyone that shared their experiences. Before I posted here, I thought it was a bit nuts to make this change. But after reading the responses here, I guess it's good to be a bit nutty in life.

 

[tulak]

My DH put up with his psycho boss until he no longer could. He has not worked since 05/2010 and his mental health has not improved. I am sure that he will not ever work again. I had hoped that his mental health would improve once he was away from work, but so far it has not. Money is not everything.

Wow, dreamer, I am sorry to hear that. I worry a lot about the toll my DHs job is taking on him and have thought all along that he'd be happier when he quit. That isn't always the case.

I'm also sorry to hear that. I have a lot to decompress from and one of my worries is that it won't materialize, but fortunately, I am feeling much better.

Dreamer, for your DH, if he's having problems going back to work because he's worried about the work environment, what about trying to volunteer somewhere?

Maybe he needs to see that all environments are not bad and this might help him gradually start looking for work in a better environment.

I wish the best for you both!

 

[zinger1457]

I've never had to take a job for less pay but have turned down numerous promotions/jobs that would have paid more. Being an engineer I found out what I truly liked was working in a lab using my engineering skills and that sitting behind a desk managing/superising others was not my cup of tea. After falling into the management track early on and realizing it wasn't for me I made a conscious effort the rest of my career not to make that mistake again even though it meant turning down some really good offers.

 

[tulak]

I know my wife has a lot of the same concerns about me and she really wants to help me get out and pursue other low-pay (or no-pay) options that are better for my physical and mental health. That in turn increases my guilt and stress, feeling like my inability to adequately cope with corporate BS is putting more pressure on her. Sigh.

It's amazing how much our SOs take from us. Since I've given notice, my wife is in a much better mood. Too much of having to see how my job was affecting me and listen to my complaining - even though I tried to minimize the latter part.

Saying you're unable to cope with the corporate BS is normal. I think this wears on everyone after awhile. In all honesty, who wants to cope with corporate BS?

And corporate BS exists everywhere. Even the new place I'm going to is going to have some sort of corporate BS. I think that's unavoidable. But sometimes making a change for one set of BS for another makes it more manageable for a time, maybe for long enough to hit RE.

 

[Dreamer]

Thanks Sarah and Kiki. Unfortunately my DH is suffering from Depression and Anxiety. He was approved for Social Security Disability. He has been seeing a Psychiatrist and another counselor and is on a couple of different medicines. He might get back to volunteering again someday. He used to be a Volunteer firefighter, volunteer EMT and Hazmat. He was a trustee at church and has been on several work mission trips. Right now he has a real problem following through on things, even things that he once felt very passionate about such as his sport car. He always tears it down to do a project on in the winter, but he is having a hard time working on it to get it back together, even though he is home all day. The weather is beautiful and he keeps saying that he needs to get it done, but is not doing it. He naps quite a bit. I think that his medicine makes him drowsy and is a sympton of depression. He does exercise more because that is supposed to help with depression and anxiety. I am quitting my part-time job shortly and will try to incorporate more fun activities into our life. The counselor said this was something that we needed to do. Who knows, things could turn around one of these days. Hoping.

 

[Dreamer]

I know my wife has a lot of the same concerns about me and she really wants to help me get out and pursue other low-pay (or no-pay) options that are better for my physical and mental health. That in turn increases my guilt and stress, feeling like my inability to adequately cope with corporate BS is putting more pressure on her. Sigh.

I really, really wish that I had realized how bad my DH's job was when it was happening to him. Your wife sounds like an intelligent, caring person who loves you. You should not feel any guilt or stress, about your inability to adequately cope with corporate BS and how that is putting more pressure on her. If she is behind you and she is from what you are saying, then you need to take a hard look at what the job is doing to you now and how it might affect you and her for the rest of your life. Is it really worth it? Re-read this thread and how many people did value the quality of their life over their job, took the lower paying position and never regretted it. I guess that only you know how much you can take and I sincerely hope that you make a change before you go over that limit. Good luck in making the difficult decision and never take your health for granted.

 

[kyounge1956]

Several years ago I voluntarily transferred from a supervisory to a non-supervisory position with the same employer. Since this was moving from a "Senior" salary grade to "Associate", my pay went down quite a bit—20 or 25 percent, I don't remember which. I was miserable as a supervisor, and as a result of the transfer I was much less miserable. All things considered, I think it's one of the smarter things I've done in my life.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Holy smoke, Dreamer!

Is this what a toxic job can do to a person? How does one heal his soul after something like this? Clearly, this will require expert help.

I sincerely hope your husband recovers.

A note to others in such a situation: I once felt trapped in a nasty company. My wife insisted that I take an anger management course as I was bringing my work stress home with me. Fortunately I did so and it changed my life. It makes you realize what is important in your life and what is not. It gives you coping mechanisms. In my case, I realized that my problems were small compared to those of the other people in the room. Some of them were there under court order. I am sure the course helped many of them, too.

Best of luck.

Ed