Job with less pay

[Guinevere]

So I have a dilemma and I'm wondering what your opinion on it is. I'm looking for a new job because my current work situation has become unbearable. Our department head is notorious in our industry (some head hunters I apprached flat out said they would never place anyone in her department ever since so many have been placed there and then cited her as a reason they left). However, I've been there for 6 years and moved up from an assistant to a manager.

However, the hours are extremely long (I work an hour late almost every day) and I alway seem to be getting stuck doing one person's work in particular. Last year I finally complained about always getting this person's work when she was "overwhelmed" and crying.

So at the beginning of this year, I got a written notice for always coming in late last year. I was totally taken aback mainly because I'm usually late by about 5 minutes every day but I've been doing this for the last 6 years and was always allowed to because I worked late every night. Now suddenly I was written up for it. Now the department head is on a rampage (that's what we call it) and is scrutinizing everything I do. Obviously this isn't now a healthy workplace (I hear her voice and get stressed).

So I've been going on interviews for similar positions and was offered a job, with a $6,000 pay cut. Would you consider taking the job or is that too steep a pay cut?

[Spareoom]

I'm not in a position to say since I'm not in that kind of work situation in any way shape or form, but my gut reaction is, consider how staying at your current job is affecting your quality of life and health. When you end up having a nervous breakdown from the stress and and up with more problems and medical bills, not to mention overall satisfaction and happiness in life, suddenly a pay cut doesn't sound so bad.

But anyway, just something to consider. 6k sounds like a lot to me but I don't know anything, lol. Just keep it in perspective.

[maatTheViking]

if 6k does not make you unable to pay your bills, then I woulds say a resounding yes. Money isn't everything, and coming home angry and your job is not a good way to live

[Vash01]

I agree with Spareoom. It is your decision, and only you can answer if you can manage with 6K less. There are ways to cut expenses. If you are trying to get out of your current job ASAP because it's causing too much stress, you may want to consider other options, as you are obviously doing, by going to job interviews at other places. I know people that got out of their stressful jobs with a lot bigger financial cut than 6K and were perfectly happy with that decision, but it doesn't mean you should do the same. Only you know the answer to that.

Are you in a position to negotiate the lower salary that's been offered to you? The hiring manager does not need to know that you are stressed at your current job. That may be another way to get around it, so it will not be such a big cut.

[Angelskates]

So I've been going on interviews for similar positions and was offered a job, with a $6,000 pay cut. Would you consider taking the job or is that too steep a pay cut?

Can you pay your bills with the pay cut? Would you have to change your expectations for necessities, and could you do that?

IME, nothing makes someone more miserable than not having money when they are used to having money. If you can take the pay cut and still pay your bills, and/or are happy to re-prioritise, it is worth considering, but really look at it first. Having less money and a happier work place may actually turn into having a happier workplace but being miserable because you have so much less money, and resenting your work for it.

[Ziggy]

Getting a written notice for something that hasn't been raised verbally with you first is terrible practice.

[Bostonfan]

I'm in the same boat as you are right now, except that I don't have another job lined up yet. I'm just starting my search and sprucing up my resume. I've been with my company 17 years, and it's gone rapidly downhill. But one thing I did determine prior to starting my job search was determine how much (after taxes) I could live on (within reason - not paycheck to paycheck) in order to determine what my bottom line salary requirements are. I can live without all the movie channels, eat out less, brown bag it more often, curb my spending. For my particular circumstances, I can absorb a 10k reduction. So if I find a job within that threshold, I'm gone. It's much worse IMO to stay at a job that's making me mentally and physically ill day in and day out.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Try to negotiate for a higher salary. The salary may not be able to go as high as what you're making now, but you may be able to bridge that gap a bit. If they can't bring up the salary, can they give you a signing bonus for this first year, to help you make the transition? If that's not possible, try to negotiate benefits - for example, if they normally offer two weeks of vacation to new hires, ask for three.

I took a pay cut when I came to this company, of about the same amount of money that you're talking about. For me, it was worth it. The pay cut didn't mean I couldn't pay my bills, and the change in job allowed me to enter a new field. For you, is the pay cut worth it? And can you still make your bills if you take it? Because the writing is absolutely on the wall for you at your current job - all signals show that you're being driven out. It's a good idea to leave before that happens.

[Jenny]

When comparing two jobs (ie your current and the one with the pay cut, or multiple opportunities), you should consider the entire range of pros and cons, not just salary and whether or not the boss is an idiot (if you can even determine that).

You have to look at other financial-related factors as well - how do the benefits compare? Will the commute cost more money or time? Will you need new clothes for the job, and more often? (I used to spend a ton on suits, dry cleaning and shoe repair - it can really add up.) Does the company contribute to your retirement savings, fund training, offer perks like a cell phone or laptop? Discounts on products or services by the company? Are bonuses to be expected?

There is the sanity factor of course - do they have a clear system for complaints (ie you doing someone else's work) or citations (being late)? This one is hard to ask about without looking like a troublemaker, but there are ways to find out. Do they allow flex hours for people who have trouble getting in on time? Do they compensate for overtime with pay or extra time off? Is overtime expected on a regular basis, or just crunch times? What are the coworkers like? What are the immediate managers like, and the overall company leadership? And is the work fun? Is it a company you can be proud to work for?

And there's the career opportunity - the pay may be less now, but could it potentially move up faster than the other place? Are there advancement opportunities? Opportunities to learn new skills or take on more responsibilities? Develop your management skills further through projects and teams? Work with other departments to expand your skills and network, and thus opportunities inside and outside the company? Is this a good company that's growing, hiring and expanding, or one that might close branches and do layoffs, which often start with the last people hired?

As for the money, as others have said it's about your own budget. $6K is relative - for example if you make $35K now then of course it's a huge cut that must be very carefully considered, but if you make $98K now then it's nothing and well worth the sacrifice for a better work environment.

[cruisin]

A $6,000 pay cut is relative. If you're making $50,000 or less, it's significant. If you're making $500,000, it's negligible. Only you can decide if that $6,000 will effect your ability to pay bills and will cause you less stress than what you are currently putting up with. If the $6,000 cut will not put you in a tough situation, I would opt for getting out of a terrible situation. Is there someone above your department head that you can talk to? Can you go to human resources? The problem, there, is that if the department head finds out, you wind up in a worse position. Would it be worth trying that when you know you have another job option?

[aliceanne]

It sounds to me as if word got back to her (maybe the headhunter said something to someone who reported back to her?) that you were complaining about her outside the office. I think you are going to be in for an increasingly hard time if you stay and may end up getting fired.

[Jenny]

So at the beginning of this year, I got a written notice for always coming in late last year. I was totally taken aback mainly because I'm usually late by about 5 minutes every day but I've been doing this for the last 6 years and was always allowed to because I worked late every night. Now suddenly I was written up for it. Now the department head is on a rampage (that's what we call it) and is scrutinizing everything I do. Obviously this isn't now a healthy workplace (I hear her voice and get stressed).

Meant to address this in post above. This could be nothing - just someone on a rampage as you say, maybe getting pressure from her bosses to document better etc.

But it could also be a very bad sign. Putting minor infractions in writing is often part of building a case to get rid of someone. Might be about you, might be about upcoming downsizing, might be about a political move to block a promotion for you in favour of someone else, could be any number of things. But one thing's certain - you should be on high alert right now, and on your best behaviour. Always better to leave a job of your own accord - when you are ready - than be forced.

[Cherub721]

Are you sure the paycut is as big as it seems? You say you're working many extra hours. It sounds as though you're salaried and not getting any overtime. When you compare your actual hours worked per week with your weekly salary, are you sure it's much higher than what you would be making hourly at the other job, assuming that they stick to 9-5 or whatever the designated hours are? Again, as others said, this requires some research into company culture at the new job, and it may not matter to you what the hourly rate is if the gross isn't enough to pay your bills.

Also, have you compared the overall benefits packages at both? If the other job is $6k less in actual salary, but the insurance premium is much lower and it matches retirement contributions, it may end up being equal or better than your current salary.

Finally, I do agree that the current job may be looking to get of you or may not give you a reference, and it's a lot easier to get a job when you're already employed, so if the numbers work, I would probably take the new job.

[genevieve]

I would say take it, if your ability to cover your expenses is not compromised. There may be advancement opportunities in the new place (if you were able to go from assistant to manager in 6 years in your current place, that shows significant growth potential), or just new learning that could benefit you if you end up going somewhere else sooner than 6 years later. But your current environment sounds very poor for your health.

My other question would be - is the new position at a company of similar size and scope as your current employer? If so, they may be seriously lowballing you. It's always good to try to negotiate a higher salary, employers generally offer lower than they expect to end up paying. The economy has given employers opportunity to hire great talent for cheap, but things aren't quite so dire as they were 4 years ago and there should be some wiggle room.

[Nan]

My husband found himself in much the same position and took a $10,000 pay cut to avoid dying from a heart attack. He took a lower paying job and an additional part-time job for a year or so until our income reached the point where he could quit the part-time job. It's been almost ten years since then and neither one of us has ever regreted it.

[Artemis@BC]

Everyone's priorities are different, but in my view quality of life and job satisfaction is worth more than money. No question.

The only question I see here is going from the "devil you know" to a new location where the work environment is unknown. There's always a gamble that things won't be any better at the new place and you'll be paid less to boot. But if your current situation is untenable and you don't think it's something you can change, then it's probably a risk worth taking.

On a personal note, I've been at the same company for 25 years now. The reason I've stayed so long is that the work is constantly evolving to keep things interesting, I have a great deal of personal autonomy, I like my boss and we have complementatry working styles, and there is zero office politics (not first-hand anyway: we deal with it second-hand from our clients). The only downside is that the pay is less than half what I could make elsewhere. But it's honestly worth it for me. I've seen so many of my friends go on stress leave or take a desperation job. I consider myself extremely fortunate.

[Jenny]

Everyone's priorities are different, but in my view quality of life and job satisfaction is worth more than money. No question.

Age and point in one's career can be a factor though. When I was younger, I had a higher tolerance for crap because I was at the stage in my career where getting ahead, getting the right opportunities for projects and people to work with, the right clients and employers on my resume etc was really important, and I was willing to put up with a lot to get what I wanted. Now at my more advanced age (!), my priorities have shifted and I agree quality of work environment and quality of life are far more important, and my tolerance for bad bosses and bad work environments is zero. But, all that slogging and suffering I did when I was younger has put me a position where I can make those choices now, so I don't regret it at all.

[ioana]

Just to double check, the new job would still be in the same city, right? Some cities just have a higher cost of living to begin with, so moving to a cheaper area would sometimes come with a pay cut. I ended up being laid off from my finance job in NY back in 2009, when everyone was jobless in that field. The new job paid $14,000 less in Boston but I don't regret taking it for one minute. I get to work for a university, in a much more relaxed and supporting environment. And, they actually give you decent rises, so things worked out very well in the long run.

I'd say as long as the paycut doesn't prevent you from covering your expenses, your sanity is worth it in the long run.

[Cachoo]

You are spending a 1/3 of your life (or more) being miserable. Is it worth that $6000? I guess that is the first question I would ask myself and if the answer is no then I would find a way to live without it. The best of luck to you either way.

[Vash01]

My brother in law took early retirement, because the stress on the job was killing him. He had to have heart surgery, and he still continued to work. Things did not get better. Eventually he saw sense in what his wife and children were telling him. He took the retirement, has less income, and is much happier. I am not suggesting that you retire (you may be too young , or you really want to get somewhere in your career). I agree with Jenny- consider all factors and not just the pay cut, before making the decision. You may even want to talk it over with a career counselor. There may be some where you live.