It’s no secret that lack of an adequate work-life balance can lead to numerous detrimental outcomes, such as burnout or health problems, just to name a couple. That’s why it’s important to evaluate if the extra hours or the crazy schedule is really worth spreading yourself thin over.

This redditor wasn’t willing to sacrifice their health for a job in a company where certain higher ups didn’t seem to have a problem with a lack of work-life balance. Not only that, they failed to honor the agreements they set in place when they hired the OP, which eventually resulted in huge losses for said company.

Scroll down to find the full story below, where you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with the OP, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

Good employees are not easy to find, but they might be easy to lose

Image credits: Kateryna Babaieva / pexels (not the actual photo)

This employee wasn’t willing to sacrifice their health for the company that failed to honor the agreement they had

Image credits: RF._.studio / pexels (not actual photo)

Image credits: Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Bobur Mavlonov / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Image credits: microwavable_rat

The OP shared that the older they get, the more they appreciate a healthy work-life balance

In the fast-paced life that many people nowadays are living, quite a few of them are overworked. Whether because of a workaholic boss expecting their employees to follow their lead or an unbearable workload, such employees often have to make sacrifices in order to keep up. A healthy work-life balance for them is a lot like a mirage – oh so beautiful, yet oh so unattainable.

The things said individuals are willing to give up for work tend to differ from person to person, but some are quite significant, such as time with kids or health. But the OP considered their health more important than the company’s profit.

“The older I get, the more I appreciate it and fight for it,” they told Bored Panda, talking about the importance of work-life balance. “I didn’t think much of it when I was younger and felt I had to keep my nose to the grindstone as much as possible. Now that I’m almost 40, I’ve seen what that attitude has done to the people I’ve worked with.

“I’ve heard so many people talk about the years they missed, how the time just passed by with a lack of rich memories to show for it, and worst of all the people who suddenly realized they didn’t get to see their kids grow up. Nobody thinks on their deathbed ‘I wish I spent more hours at work’.

“On a lighter note, I’m probably never going to be able to retire, so I feel it’s worth it to have a balance so I can enjoy my hobbies and interests before I’m too old to pursue them,” the redditor added.

Some people have to sacrifice important things, like friends and hobbies, because of work

While some people make sure to strike a balance between working and getting some well-deserved rest, others do not take enough time for the latter. A multi-year poll, carried out over more than two decades (1987-2008), found that more than half (56%) of people tend to sacrifice sleep because of work.

A similar number of people admitted having chosen work over recreation and hobbies—52% and 51% respectively—and as many as 44% shared having sacrificed friendships. Roughly a third of respondents said they have sacrificed family to some extent, too, which comes as no surprise, bearing in mind that back in 1987, roughly half of them said they’d eat at least one family meal a day, but the number shrunk to one-in-five by the year 2008.

To make matters worse, some workplaces take advantage of hardworking people or those willing to sacrifice something for the benefit of the stakeholders. The OP shared that one of the things that upset them the most was how after they gave their company an inch, they took a mile. “I had no problem going in the first time because there was a legitimate issue that caused a production backup. Once they saw I made that exception to genuinely help them and my other coworkers out, they ended up taking advantage of that in situations they had control over instead of an unexpected mishap,” they explained.

“Once I saw they weren’t willing to compromise, and blatantly disregarded what they had promised, there was no point [in looking for a solution]. I probably could have fought it up the corporate ladder, but even if they ruled in my favor, it would have turned my supervisors and bosses against me and fostered a hostile work environment.”

A healthy work-life balance is one of the most sought-after things for people in the workforce

Even though some people are willing to sacrifice their friends and family, and even sleep for work, others definitely aren’t. As a matter of fact, many people nowadays value a healthy work-life balance nearly as much as they do financial compensation, which for many is the main driving factor in their career decisions.

Randstad’s Workmonitor 2023 survey found that the share of respondents who said that pay was important was 93.8%, while the number of people who considered work-life balance important was 93.7%. Not only that, the majority of surveyed individuals said that they wouldn’t accept a role which negatively affected their work-life balance.

The OP decided not to stay in such a role, either, which is something fellow netizens in the comments applauded them for. “If you always put the needs of others before yourself, you teach the world that you’ll never put yourself first. The world won’t do it for you; you have to do it yourself,” the redditor told Bored Panda. “An employer worth working for will understand and respect you taking care of yourself; it only makes you a better employee if you’re happy with things that aren’t work-related.

“Know your worth. Always keep your resume updated. And only show the same amount of loyalty to a company that they show to you,” they said.

The redditor provided more details in the comments, where fellow netizens shared their opinions

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