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I turned down a 15k raise to stay with my current team, still wondering if it was right

Last month I got an offer from a bigger company in Austin for 15k more plus better benefits. My current job is nothing fancy, a small marketing firm where I've been for 3 years. The new place had a cooler title too. But my manager here let me switch to a 4 day work week when my dad got sick, and the whole team covers for each other without drama. I told the Austin recruiter no last Tuesday. It felt good for about a day, then I started doing the math on my rent and student loans. My coworkers think I'm crazy. My girlfriend says I made the right call but she's biased because she works nearby. Has anyone else passed up real money for a better work environment? How do you know if you're being smart or just scared of change?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.paul19d ago

Take the counterpoint here. 15k sounds huge, but you already traded that money for a 4 day week and a team that doesn't suck. That's worth real cash, and your rent math probably needs to factor in what a 5 day grind at a bigger place does to your energy and stress. I'd worry you're not scared of change, you're scared of losing the flexibility, which is a smart thing to be afraid of. Give it 6 months and see if the money itch fades, if it doesn't, you can always start looking again.

johnson.paul17d ago

Flip that around. You're acting like the 4 day week is some sacred thing, but 15k is 15k. That's rent money for most of a year, or a solid chunk of a down payment, or just breathing room when stuff breaks. The team that doesn't suck now might not even be the same team in six months, people bounce, managers change, and suddenly you're stuck with the same grind for less pay. And the bigger place might not be a 5 day hellhole, some of them actually have decent cultures too, you're guessing it's worse. Stress is real, sure, but so is the math on your future, and you can't buy flexibility when you're 50 and tired of scraping by.