To wonder how many people would give up work if they had the choice?

[malificent7]

I would. I do enjoy being kept occupied...for example i love study and crafts but i find workplace politics make me very anxious and depressed...i just can't handle them.
My ideal "job" would be an artist but i need to pay bills.
Jobs don't make me happy but i would be less happy if hungry and% or homeless.
If i won the lottery i would start a busoness so i would still want an occupation but one that wasn't in a position where I dont have to deal with too much politics( pipe dream i know.)

A friend of mine previously worked as an adviser to lottery winners. She said lots of them gave up work as soon as they won, but they tended to be less happy later on than the people who had carried on working

I don't view working or not working as part of my identity and I don't view working or not working as part of my self worth. In fact, for me it has nothing to do with how I feel about myself.

I also don't get bored but love to spend 8 hours watching random shows, reading, doing and looking at interior design, doing art and craft and home education. I like getting up late. I like researching subjects to share with my children but unhappily for me they both grow more and more disinterested and have been sucked into youtube more on lockdown than ever before. . The most recent subjects being kopi luwak Coffee (cat poo coffee) and bioluminescent waves.

No, I absolutely wouldn't. I'd go mad. I found mat leave difficult both times and I find being at home with my children during lockdown frankly pretty mind numbingly boring. My mental health would crumble without having something to do that I'm passionate about the bulk of most days. I suppose I could get a 'hobby' but why have a hobby when you can have a well paying job you enjoy? If I'm going to spend my day doing something fulfilling, I'd rather make money and build a pension while doing it.

I don’t work and don’t want to but my dp would definitely leave his job if we won the lotto.

I would definitely set up a business though doing something that I enjoy and work very part time.

I’ve never ( since a child ) been able to understand when people say they’re “bored” and especially as a parent there is always something to do. Boredom wouldn’t be the reason I started a business because I am never bored but think some purpose would be good rather than shopping/holidays etc.

I’d drop work like a hot potato and never look back. Yes, I’d probably do some charity work or volunteering, but no way would I commit myself to one vocation. I’d not even turn up the next day to clear my desk

I would leave if I had the opportunity, would love not to work. I hate the office politics, two faced colleagues, every day is draining. I've loved working from home, been back for a few days but its just highlighted to me more that I would rather not be there if I could afford it.

I would give up my work like a shot.

However I have had a job since I was 14 so have worked for 30 years. I couldn't not do something so would look to volunteer in some capacity. Not full time but a couple of days a week. Something like a national trust guide would suit me to a tee.

Would love to give up, health problem partly caused by my job, no commute.

I'm happy pottering and home making most of the time and seeing friends and family

Loved wfh as I can exercise and house is tidier

Like a shot! I’m a lazy introvert so not working sounds like, and has been, bliss. Bloody mortgage and the need to eat...

I’m a artist and I pay the bills doing it, takes time but it’s not impossible.

Like anything though, when your love becomes a job, it becomes a job! I do still love painting, but I’m not chomping at the bit anymore like I used to because now I HAVE to paint, instead of doing it because I want too.

I would have never said yes before I had my daughter.

Now, I'd much rather have my own business so that I could dictate my own hours and create a better work life balance.

I would give up being a teacher, but I’d love to be a part time pastoral support worker or something similar. A role where I can talk to pupils, engage with them but don’t have all the palaver of planning and marking

If I won enough to live on forever I'd prob just work 2 days a wk or something.

I’m support staff in a secondary school, this is my third week back full time. When I was working from home I enjoyed:

No morning rush. I could check the first work emails of the day before i’d Showered, if I wanted.
More time to make home made food, like bread and soup.
Tea breaks in the garden in the sunshine!
Flexibility with working hours meaning I could do a couple of loads of washing a day and hang them out throughout the day. And could do a food shop during the day.
Proper relaxed lunch break.
No face to face issues with difficult pupils or colleagues.
Minimal pointless “new initiatives” and target setting.
Able to build in a daily walk, and saw some parts of my local area I’d never seen before on foot, plus good chat with the teens all the way round.
Being able to get really involved with home schooling.
Slower pace all round, including time to notice things like different birds and their behaviour or plants & trees growing and changing, etc.
House was spotlessly clean with no ironing piles!
I could nap if I felt tired.
Being able to WhatsApp/FT my family when the mood took me during the day, just to talk shit.
Overall result was less stress! However things started slipping and I stopped going out for a walk after a few days of rain etc then never got back into it. Did more and more pointless internet surfing because there was time to, rather than a focused reading of certain things.
Started to miss even the annoying pupils!

What I’ve enjoyed about being back at work:

Mental stimulation & having something to get stuck into. Being able to clear a backlog of work while most pupils aren’t in.
My colleagues.
Feeling like I have a purpose.
Liking the routine of it.

What I’m not enjoying:
The rushing in the mornings is not good. Lack of free time to do what I want. No time to exercise or nap. Feel jealous of everyone who seem to be out and about enjoying themselves on a walk or bike ride at 4pm when I’m in my way home.
No time to make home made lunches anymore.
Having to do Food shopping in the evening.
House is a tip again and ironing mountain is huge. DH works ridiculously long hours so it’s mostly done by me. I didn’t mind it when I worked from home and got satisfaction from having a clean and tidy house but I bloody resent it now.
Feeling like I’m neglecting the kids. I’m not here to supervise home schooling so just keeping fingers crossed that some is getting done! There is no-one here to nag them into exercising and getting fresh air and daylight.
Garden is overgrown.

On balance if I had the choice I would not give up work altogether but would go part time. I feel that there is no winner between the lack of free time that a FT job brings and the lack of stimulation /sense of purpose that having NO job brings. Part time is a nice balance and the part of my life that I enjoyed the most.

I gave up my career after I had my daughter. She's 17 months now, and as much as I love being with her I'm really starting to miss working.
So in hindsight I wouldn't give up my job. I'd possibly cut hours down, but I really do miss going into work.

Nope. Never. I love my work, but I am self employed so have lots of autonomy.
If I win the lottery I’d still do my work but have the joy of not having to stress about the income.

I am happy exchanging my labour for money, and paying other freelancers for their services.

If I ever won or inherited the money for it, I'd neither employee or employer be. I'd work to my own satisfaction.

(I find it utterly bizarre that celebrities who have become wonderfully successful in their field then go on to shilling snake oil - I just could not be arsed to expend any additional effort recommending candles or whatnot when I was already sitting on millions)

curly were you not meant to be constantly working online though when wfh or was it sporadic?

I love where I work, so if I won the lottery, I would work less days, like 2 a week, just for the enjoyment of it.

No, my role is nearly all pupil facing but not actual teaching so I did what I could (went to work to pick up admin etc) and some planning etc, but it definitely wasn’t my usual 8 hours a day’s worth.

I would quit my job immediately and I wouldn't look back. I've been working full time with no breaks for almost 30 years. I'm so over it.

I left work at December....then had to go back in March due to Covid financial issues with our business. I was so happy working 1 day in the office, yoga, cleaning my lovely house, diy and decorating, running, planning meals and chilling with my kids after school.

Now an back working as a teacher but now full time instead of part time. Obv more flexible being mostly at home but I'm dreading the return to school. I still
Enjoy being in school but the thought of a full time teaching job fills me with dread!

But hey I'm lucky to have had an established career to fall back on!

No i wouldn't.
Although i don't 'enjoy' all aspects of my various part time employed work (i'm also Self employed working from home) It gets me out of the house, i like chatting to customers, and having a laugh with my employers... Couldn't bare to be stuck at home by myself forever!

Definitely NOT. Working from home and DH and the kids here, never. Back before this dirty virus and DH working, i was off on Tuesdays. Loved the house to myself, cleaning, smelling nice, etc..... i like being alone at times and seeing other people. So for me going to work is a break from the house and DH.

I'd quit in a flash. I'm not lazy at all&like to be busy but have loved being with my dc through lockdown&would love to spend more time with them