Burnout Pushes Lawyer To Quit Rs 3 Crore Job For A Lower-Paying Role – News18

Last Updated:January 06, 2025, 11:27 IST

Emily Hayes, a former lawyer earning $370,000 annually, decided to leave her high-paying job.

Achieving a healthy work-life balance can feel nearly impossible in today’s fast-paced corporate world. Many of us have experienced long hours, dreaded weekend work and unexpected deadlines that throw our personal lives out of balance. Despite businesses making greater efforts to improve employee well-being, burnout remains a harsh reality for many. Emily Hayes, a former lawyer earning $370,000 (around Rs 3.1 crore) annually, made the bold decision to leave her high-paying job and join a tech company at a significantly lower salary, prioritising her mental health over financial gain.

The former lawyer, after experiencing burnout and an emotional breakdown as a result of her demanding job, made the decision to prioritise her well-being over her lucrative career. Emily Hayes moved to the technology business, accepting a position with a substantially lower annual pay of $220,000 (about Rs 1.9 lakh). Her “breaking point” occurred in April 2023. Emily Hayes found herself working late on a Saturday morning to prepare for arbitration, only hours after leaving the workplace at 11 p.m. the night before.

Reportedly, she was preparing for a trial, but she had been stressed and exhausted for months. While financially tough, this decision to change jobs allowed her to pursue a more meaningful profession while also prioritising her mental health. Emily told CNBC Make It, “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 pm. I think you really have to love the work you’re doing to make that trade-off of your time feel worth it.”

Reflecting on the poor work-life balance in her previous job, Emily shared how she felt torn between meeting her professional expectations and being there for her loved ones. “The tension between the two terrified me,” said Emily. However, she mentioned that shifting to a much lesser pay cheque had its own set of issues. She told the portal, “The biggest change with this pay cut has been shifting my mindset around money. I realized I needed to think carefully about my purchases, even when they didn’t seem extravagant.” Her previous income allowed her to “spend without much thought or stress,” but now she must stick to a rigid budget.