(MENAFN- Live Mint) A lawyer by profession, a woman chose a low paying job, accepting ₹1.28 crore pay cut over burnout pressure. The 32-year-old woman, named Emily Hayes, caught amid long work hours, difficult clients and billing pressures decided to make this difficult decision, CNBC Make It reported.

Prioritising well-being, quality time in her life and social connections, one fine day, the 2019 batch graduate from Stanford Law School, decided to give up associated job position at O'Melveny & Myers. She joined the large law firm in Los Angeles in October 2021. She found it difficult to cope up with work pressure and faced burnout. This was the time her job overshadowed other parts of her life.

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She took this major turn in life after years of moving between jobs and cities. Even though, the pay was generous, colleagues were supportive assignments were engaging but the grind was taking the toll. Although, her pay check was over 2.57 crores, her“breaking point” came in April 2023. She had been working overtime on a Saturday morning following a tedious late night working hours the previous day.

Difficult time

Recalling the episode, she said someone close to her was going through a difficult time and she“started sobbing.” Caught amid guilt of being unavailable, she was in the office at the crucial time when her loved one needed her support.

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“It felt like I had to choose between showing up for my job in the way that was expected of me and showing up for the people I love in the way that I wanted to,” CNBC Make It quoted Emily Hayes as saying. The stress and exhaustion that had been building for months, had finally taken over and Hayes decided to quit the current job and find a new one within a year.

Sharing her experience, Emily added,“Working at a law firm can make your life so unpredictable. You can never count on free time in the evenings or logging off before 10 p.m. I think you really have to love the work you're doing to make that trade-off of your time feel worth it.”

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The subsequent jab Emily chose came with two trade-offs. She had to relocate to San Francisco and accept a major pay cut in her salary. This role provided her with a balanced lifestyle, a consistent 40-hour workweek and the flexibility to work from home two days a week.“I'm really fortunate that I still make enough to live comfortably,” she added. The only drawback she found was that she had to economise on her spending. Her earlier difficulties like falling asleep at night and persistent jaw pain vanished without any medical treatment, with this change.

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