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PaperclipPerfector  23hr ago (text post)   323 thread views

Wellness Wednesday for December 3, 2025

The Wednesday Wellness threads are meant to encourage users to ask for and provide advice and motivation to improve their lives. It isn't intended as a 'containment thread' and any content which could go here could instead be posted in its own thread. You could post:

  • Requests for advice and / or encouragement. On basically any topic and for any scale of problem.

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I'm looking for advice in terms of experience, literature, etc on switching careers due to an unsustainable lack of work-life balance (WLB) in my current job.

Overview and background of my current job:

  • Role: I work as an engineer at a cutthroat manufacturing company and am responsible for multiple machines' performances and operability, i.e., if they aren't working properly then I'm responsible for fixing it. The industry and factory I'm at are notoriously difficult for WLB (which can be seen by the amount of divorcees, overweight, and unhappy people).
  • Hours: I'm technically on call 24/7/365 except when on PTO and generally answer a text or call on weekends. Sometimes things are bad and I work 70-hour weeks, other times things are good and I only work 40-hour weeks.
  • Stress: I get stressed easily because some problems are not easily solvable and there are very few people at the company who can help. It's basically just me, three technicians spread across the week, and another engineer at a different site who have the expertise and knowledge. I'm often on edge scared that something will break or my week or weekend free time will be ruined because of work. My romantic relationship is strained because of the recent craziness in my job.
  • Support/help: I don't get much support from my boss or other engineers. We have a new hire in the group who I was hoping would take over some of my machines, but my boss is positioning him elsewhere despite me making it clear that I'm burnt out and overwhelmed.
  • Pay: My salary is $100k with a yearly bonus of 10-20%, dependent on company performance
  • Fulfillment: I am very fulfilled with my job when the stress is low. I get a lot of autonomy, work on cutting edge tech and interesting projects, and work with very smart people.

Questions for my fellow Mottizens:

  • General thoughts on my situation and career?
  • Have you ever taken a large pay cut for better WLB? Was it worth it?
  • Is working fully remote worth it? I enjoy traveling and remote work seems extremely attractive for visiting family and friends in other cities on a regular basis.
  • The job market appears to be atrocious right now. While I would definitely wait to quit my current role until I had an offer secured, would it be better to weather out the storm in case of layoffs happening soon after I joined another company?

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