Looking for advice - especially from people who’ve faced this dilemma … What did you do?
I’m fortunate to be in a highly paid role after 10+ years with my company. It’s mostly because I work for an American firm - I’m home based in UK. My salary + bonus is at least 3x what it would be if I did the same thing for a UK company.
But I am really struggling. Loved my job til about a year ago when the contract changed (restructure) and I got a new boss (US-based, erratic, he doesn’t believe in holidays, changes demands all the time and is generally chaotic to work for, albeit he seems to see me as his “fixer” so brings me into almost everything he’s working on). I also took on 3 LA- based teams and 2 global projects. Now I’m often on calls til close to midnight and I travel a lot - typically flying out on a Sunday. Rarely eat with my family (son and daughter 14 & 17), stressed and tired all the time, and feel I’m missing out on the last years of their childhood at home. My partner picks up so much slack on lifts etc and I feel guilty about that too.
I’m in tears most days before I log on just with sheer exhaustion but my salary is 4x my partner’s and pays for our kids’s school fees and family holidays (not lavish, but it’s how we fund them). If I leave and take a similar UK job, we would be in a difficult position £ wise.
What would you do? Accept it for the next 4 years til school is done or get out now? My nervousness about leaving is because I worry I’d get into a similarly demanding role but just lose the only upside which is the 3x financial cushion. However I don’t know if I can last. I honestly feel done.