Has anyone voluntarily dropped a few paygrades at work for lifestyle/sanity?

[Strumpetpumpet]

Hello everyone

I’m a bit fed up at work, too stressed, working too many hours etc

My department are advertising for a new role, it would mean a £30k pay cut but I could do the job with my eyes closed, and easily fit the work into a normal day. Financially I can afford it, I’ve got one eye on retirement in a few years anyway, but I’d be interested to hear if anyone’s taken this approach.

I guess my concerns are around being expected to “do more” because I’ve had a more senior role, and basically ending up doing my current role for less money and feeling resentful of my replacement if I have to train/mentor them?

No but I’m tempted and may do this next time I switch jobs

I did but I also went part time, this was after maternity leave. I think the key is to cut down your hours too because then you can’t be expected to over perform on your days off. I can be restrictive over what I do because I can say, I’m not working tomorrow etc.

Be careful though OP, it’s worked for me but I have a friend who went from being a deputy head to a TA after children and a big health scare. Despite moving schools to do this she immediately became the stand in teacher and cover and eventually left because she was underpaid for the actual job she ended up doing.

have you considered cutting your hours? Could you do you current role part time?

Thank you both. I’m not sure I could do my current role part time tbh - I think I’d end up still doing all the work but for less pay. What happened to your friend is precisely what I’m worried about, so thank you for the warning.

Dépends on your role/ sector I’d say.

this absolutely wouldn’t work for me because I’d end up over performing and being under paid.

But if this is something that has a really defined role, yes it could work.

Would your job be do-able part time?

You could also try gradually scaling back what you’re doing/ reaponse times/ volumes of work so it fits into a more reasonable working day? Basically drop the rope a bit, but keep performing your core tasks to a good standard.

I guess the other thing to think about is whether you could jack in the « career » and do something completely different. If you don’t particularly need a high salary and you’re in the run up to retirement, this might be the time for a complete change.

Yep and I've just dropped a day this year too, so working 4 days now. So much better for my mental health. If you can afford to, do it 👍

I took a 10k pay cut to leave the nhs, not the same amount of money but it’s the best thing I ever did for work life balance

I’ve done this and it’s definitely been the right decision for me, mine was a move into a new organisation. I do get incredibly frustrated with being much more strategic than management, there is a lack of coordination and overall strategy, I get asked to do little bits and pieces that are inconsequential but there’s no bigger picture strategy implemented and people above me don’t do what they need to do that would enable me to perform at my best. Some people can feel threatened that I am more strategic, so I have to be really careful about what I say and lower my expectations. I know it’s not just me because there are other people at my level in the organisation who are similarly frustrated. I’ve been able to build a great team myself though and the other things are a payoff for having a job that mostly I can just walk away from at the end of the day and not worry about and isn’t massively taxing. I too would like to work fewer hours within this, but worried that I would end up just being paid less for doing the same amount of work.

I moved from public sector to private sector. Massive pay cut. But I have my weekends and my evenings back. Totally worth it

I have but not as big a cut as £30k. Do you have a pension? Would the salary cut affect that significantly? That's what I'd worry about in the run up to retirement.

I’ve done this. Admittedly it was only a 9k pay cut, but the previous job made me so ill that I had to hand in my notice anyway. When I went back to work three months later I took this job and it’s much easier, better work-life balance, I’m no longer on the edge of a breakdown, my kids actually see me!

We get people do this and it works well. You just have to be clear what your remit is and what you’re paid to do.

Pension was my first thought too.

I dropped a level earlier this year but also changed teams at the same time. I miss the higher salary but am so glad to not have the stress any more. My new job is still stressful at times, but I’m not ultimately responsible for everything like I was in my previous one, and it’s such a relief.

They advertised for two people to replace me, which really pissed me off, but I’m just glad to be out of there.

Yes I moved jobs to a lower paid but much less stressful post, but with a different employer. I had enough, in every sense. It was great to step back, I think I'd done my bit.

Go part time rather than lose your pay and progression.
I took a role requiring fewer skills for less money and it’s been great for the first few years but I’m getting bored now. I’m due to retire in less than 5 years so will stick with it to keep my pension growing.

I took a pay cut to reduce my commute by 75%. It was the best decision I ever made. I'm still with them and earning double my starting salary and been given a company car even though I now wfh.

30k is a lot. What proportion of your salary is this? (I assume about a third?)
You need to work out how will this impact your pension, and retirement plans. If you’ve got an eye on retirement soon it may be better to stick it out for a couple of years then retire earlier.

If you do want to take the salary cut/new job I would explore cutting hours in your current job first. I know you said it may not be possible (and I agree it often happens you do the same role in less hours) but have you formally discussed how it would work in practice? Is there a job share opportunity for someone else?

I know a lot of teachers who have left and found work as a TA. Most ended up being used as dirt cheap cover for absence and didn't stay very long!

Early-ish career I moved from consultancy to one of our clients, an Arm’s Reach Body. It was a sideways move grade wise, or maybe a tiny step down, and a £5k pay cut (i was only on £26 at the time). We could afford it because interest rates were relatively low and we had no DC at the time. The offset was flexible working, shorter working week, generous leave, better maternity pay, better pension. I was sold on the fkexible working and shorter working week (by 5.5 hrs!).21 years and 2 dc later I am still there!

DH recently started a new job after being made redundant. He had been a director of a business that got bought out, then made him and several others redundant a year later. His payoff was very good, and he took his time looking for the right job. He made it very clear to anyone interested that he was not interested in another Directorship, and was aiming at the high technical grades. In his words “I’m an engineer not a manager”. It was surprisingly hard to convince people of this though. After a rocky 18 months with one company who thought they could get a director on a Principle Engineer’s salary , he is in a “jobbing engineer’s” role again, plays to his technical strengths and that he leaves behind at 5pm. He is more relaxed than he’s been for years.

As these examples show, I am a big believer in reducing your working hours and/or responsibilty if you can afford. Every family/household will have their own pivot point of where this is, and what is important to them. Our DC are far more familiar with youth hostels than luxury hotels for example!

I am going the other way on this and sticking it out. I should be able to hand in my notice in just under 2 years and afford not to work. If I took a lower paid job, I would be at work for significantly longer. I actually would like to carry on working but will go and do something completely different as my industry is just stressful, but want to be financially OK first.

I may lose my job anyway before then in which case I won't have that option.

I haven't (yet) but I would and haven't ruled it out.

I'm a very "kids come first " mum and since I've had them I would do whatever it takes to put their needs first (they're pre teen now) My job for example started pushing courses and MSc on me. I did one module and it was hard and took me away from my children's needs. So I said no to the rest. It isn't my time to indulge my studying or progression or learning. It's my children's time.

This site is very career obsessed when it comes to women, but it really isn't more important than your family. I'd far rather regret career faux pas than regret not being present for my children.

You do whatever is right for you. I've known several people take pay cuts to balance family life and they may be less well off, but by god they look more radiant and relaxed.

I did, took a £20k pay cut, I was going through the adoption process and I was clear I’d need more time than my job gave me. In all honesty it was the right move, I had more head space and could set clear boundaries around what I was able and prepared to do. It’s easier if you’re also changing organisations. I’m now back at the same level after 5 years stepping back.

I know of 3 people who dropped down a grade at my last employers, 2 women and 1 man. All on the upward trajectory but they were never considered for promotion again. Unless a really solid reason, such as temporary ill health you take yourself out of the race doing this. That's great if wanted long term but don't think of it as temporary or just treading water for a while if you want to progress at the same place at a later date. You will get taken over by others on the upward trajectory.

Yes, I have taken over a 20k pay drop.
Not in post yet but will be starting in January.
I cant wait

I did this. Not the same company, but I took a job two paygrades down and 90% less stress. My friends jokingly refer to it as my semi retirement.

Yes, I can do it with one hand tied behind my back and in about a third of the time as my colleagues, but I spend the rest of the time on some softer skills type projects, always being the backup for other colleagues, training and mentoring new staff and developing new processes that make things work more smoothly for everyone.

It's bliss.