Asian man thinking/contemplating
Man weighs new job offer with same salary but no WFH—Redditors urge him not to make the switch
SINGAPORE: It seems working from home has become something workers are increasingly reluctant to give up.
Recently, a Singaporean took to Reddit to ask whether he should jump ship to a new role offering the same S$7,000 salary as his current job, but with better prospects for career progression. There was just one fairly major drawback: the new role would require him to give up working from home altogether.
Judging by the responses, Redditors were not exactly keen on the trade-off. Many strongly advised him to stay put, arguing that giving up the flexibility of WFH for career progression alone might not be worth it.
The two jobs
Detailing his dilemma, the man made it clear that this was not simply a case of being tempted by another job for the sake of changing employers. The new position appeared to fit much more closely with what he actually wanted to do with his career.
“This is definitely the career pivot I'm looking for,” he wrote. “But there’ll be strictly no WFH (current role has 2 days) but with a similar commute and also with 5 days less annual leave (though it scales up over time).”
There were also other reasons he was considering the move.
The man said his current job had started to wear him down. He explained that a large part of the role involved dealing with people and navigating different personalities, which, over time, made him “dread going into work.”
He also felt his current company was being increasingly “outshone by competitors,” adding another layer of pressure to a job he was already finding tiring.
“I'm feeling the pressure here, and sometimes I’m not going to lie, I do dread coming in for work. [On the other hand], the new boss in the new role is giving me a chill and good vibe.”
At the end of his post, he asked, “Is trading off WFH and leave benefits worth it to fix your career trajectory at this pay tier, or am I being foolish for giving up flexibility for a side-step in salary? Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!”
‘WFH is something you are going to miss when it’s gone’
In the comments, many said they wouldn’t make the switch.
One Redditor wrote they would never make the move themselves even if the new job came with a 20% pay rise. “I highly value WFH as well as leave, so it's a change I will never personally make.”
Another commented, “In my opinion, WFH is basically slightly more pay.”
A third said they wouldn’t take the new job either, pointing out that the time saved from working from home could be used for personal development, which is just as important as career growth.
A fourth advised him to stay in his current role and keep looking for something with better pay and similar benefits.
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“Stay and carry on looking until another role you like with better comp and similar benefit shows up. There’s no rush; you are comfortable in your current role anyway. You only job hop that many times in your career, and each one is an opportunity to get a salary bump. Don’t waste it, and WFH is something you are going to miss when it’s gone.”
In other news, a man shared that he is growing increasingly worried about his 26-year-old girlfriend after she quit her admin job several months ago and now spends most of her days at home playing computer games.
The man took to Reddit for advice, saying he is concerned about the direction her life is taking, especially as they have been together for around a year and he has started thinking about their future as a couple.