Well-Paid Office Worker Who Never Worked A Full 40 Hours A Week Reveals Why She Chose To Leave The Job
It was the perfect situation, just not for her.
Roman Samborskyi To many, a well-paid office job with minimal work required sounds like a dream. But this was the reality for one lucky woman named Nicole. She was earning a lot and barely had to work a full 9-to-5 schedule in a job most of us would be skipping out the door every morning to clock in for.
Though she had everything she wanted, Nicole discovered that she felt unsatisfied and unfulfilled. That's when she did the unthinkable. She actually decided to leave her perfect job. Maybe there really is more to life than just a paycheck...
The office worker said that she never worked a full 40 hours a week at her job.
Self-proclaimed "professional time thief" Nicole believes that "being expected to work 40 hours a week in an office environment is abuse." Most people living that life would probably agree.
Though she was a little embarrassed to admit it, Nicole hardly ever worked 40 hours a week at her office job. She said she was able to slack off a lot, and she still got paid a decent salary as a project manager.
This was mostly possible because she worked remotely, and she became good at getting out of things or pawning them off on other people. However, she eventually realized that this didn't make her happy, and she wanted more out of her job and her life.
insta_photos | Shutterstock
She decided to leave the job to find something more fulfilling.
In a recent TikTok video, she raised a valid question: Why leave if she could barely work and still get paid well? Nicole was living a life that most people dream of, but she realized that what she cared most about was living up to her full potential.
A Reddit post from someone in a similar position garnered the same startled response as Nicole's TikTok, and what seemed to be the consensus was that she was in a very lucky position that allowed her the freedom to dream about more, something most people barely have time to entertain.
As one Reddit commenter noted, "Work isn’t supposed to be fulfilling, it’s just a paycheck. 99% of us would never even think about our careers/professions again if we won the lottery." And while that's true, there are plenty of lottery winners who would likely take up a passion project like volunteer work because it made them feel good, and maybe that was what Nicole was looking for.
Reflecting on her experiences at her previous company, Nicole asked, "If I can bring in the amount of money I was bringing in to these companies working at 25% capacity, what could I do if I'm working at full capacity?" Nicole said she was too focused on living an easy life, rather than a meaningful one. She now hopes to work towards building something that gives her purpose and contributes something to the world.
Gen Z is avoiding jobs that require long, demanding hours and compromise their well-being.
Though employers may think that having employees put in more time and effort each week will be beneficial for the company, it can actually reduce their overall motivation and productivity.
YourTango staff writer Nia Tipton explained why Gen Z is making this shift, and what it could mean for the future of the workforce. She wrote, "As for Gen Zers, many of them are turning down high-paying jobs or even leaving their current employment due to wanting their employers' values to be aligned with their own, especially when it comes to the hours put into a job and the amount of time spent at a job each week."
Finding a work schedule that you enjoy and that allows you to maintain a balance between your work and personal life can greatly improve your mental, emotional, and even physical health. It's great to have work to keep us busy and fulfilled some of the time, but the key is to also find other things that help relieve the stress and pressure we experience while working.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
