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Antiwork

Taking a pay cut for a job that will make me less miserable. Am I making a stupid decision?

I 25F have always hated working, but my current job makes me want to not wake up in the mornings. I've been here for just over a year and it gets worse every month. The culture is competitive, tense and political. I can't keep up with the workload unless I work at least one day on the weekend. When I tried to seek help from my manager, this was used as a strike against me and my performance. She told me if I can't keep up with the workload then I'm not the best fit for the role. So I now keep my head down and keep my mouth shut. I just want a slower paced job that doesn't make me cry multiple times a week, even if I don't love it. So I've been looking and applying to other jobs for a few months now. I applied for a…


I 25F have always hated working, but my current job makes me want to not wake up in the mornings. I've been here for just over a year and it gets worse every month. The culture is competitive, tense and political. I can't keep up with the workload unless I work at least one day on the weekend. When I tried to seek help from my manager, this was used as a strike against me and my performance. She told me if I can't keep up with the workload then I'm not the best fit for the role. So I now keep my head down and keep my mouth shut. I just want a slower paced job that doesn't make me cry multiple times a week, even if I don't love it. So I've been looking and applying to other jobs for a few months now. I applied for a local government agency job after hearing and reading good things about it, and after two interviews I got a job offer this past Friday.

I'm very excited but before accepting, the pay is making me question if I'm making a bad choice. The benefits are good, but the pay is expectedly less than what I make now. I'll make $55k annually, while my current role pays $70k. Financially I can make this work – I'll still be able to pay all my bills and monthly expenses, and have some leftover. I also have an emergency fund + additional savings, so I'm fortunate to be in a good spot atm. Despite this, I can't stop wondering if taking a pay cut is a stupid decision, and will actually just make me even more unhappy? Anyone have experience making this type of decision?

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