5-day week or 6-day week for Rs 5 lakh extra salary? Job seeker's switch inspires netizens

When it comes to salary, the prevalent motto is: “The more, the merrier.” However, for some professionals, a healthy work-life balance is becoming the most important criterion for job hunting. Recently, a marketing professional revealed that a friend of his had bypassed a higher-paying job and chosen a relatively lower-pay package.

Taking to LinkedIn, Dev Kataria, a performance marketing manager claimed that a friend of his had settled for a Rs 18 lakh per annum job over a position that came with a pay package of a staggering Rs 23 lakh. At first, Mr. Kataria was doubtful about his friend’s decision, but he soon understood the reasoning behind it — more and more professionals are reassessing what they genuinely want from their careers.

The position that Mr. Kataria’s friend accepted is with a company that embraces a hybrid work model, offering a flexible five-day workweek, enabling better work-life balance. In comparison, the higher-paying offer was from a company with a six-day workweek and no remote work option, which significantly restricted personal time.

Mr. Kataria pointed out that his friend’s former job had negatively impacted his health because of the extended hours and constant pressure. This experience shifted his friend’s focus, making time with family and personal hobbies more important than earning a higher salary.

"It got me thinking about how priorities have changed and more people today are prioritising flexibility, balance, and time for themselves outside of work. The idea of constantly burning out to chase a paycheck is losing its appeal. My friend shared how his health suffered from long work hours in his previous role and how he now values spending time with family, friends, and even just having some 'me time,'" he explained.

"In today's fast-paced corporate world, it's becoming clear that a healthy balance is just as important as the salary. We all deserve to have a life outside of work," he added.

Netizens React
Kataria’s post went viral on the job-sharing site. While some LinkedIn users agreed that they preferred a healthy work-life balance and opportunities for remote work, some maintained that they could put up with a more demanding work culture if the pay was high enough.

“It's the best decision. I will choose a better work culture over better package anytime, as I have experienced both. At the end of the day, you need peace. Salary comes once a month, and at top keeps you motivated for a week. Rest of the month, you need flexibility, peace, good culture. And I must say we are lucky if we get to choose between two…” wrote one user.

However, another commented, “Given the cost of living in Singapore with 3 young kids, I would pick the best package. I can manage a lot of bad culture and other difficulties for the sake of my kids who are in school during the day anyway so don't really care where I'm working. My priorities were different before I had kids and I'm certain they will be different again when my kids are grown and self-sufficient. We all have our priorities that also change based on our current phase of life…”