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An employee questioned if he was being “lazy” and not jumping at a new opportunity at work after turning down a promotion his boss had offered him because of what it would entail. He couldn’t justify the extra work that would take him away from his family and outside life for such a small salary bump.

Posting about his dilemma on Reddit, the senior analyst explained that he’s been with the company for three years and was recently offered a new position, but quickly turned it down when he realized just how grueling the role would be. Unfortunately, his boss didn’t appreciate the fact that he was prioritizing his life outside of work and called him “unambitious.”

An employee was called ‘unambitious’ after turning down a promotion that would be 30% more work for only a 5% raise.

“I make $68K, work pretty standard 40-45 hour weeks and honestly I’m good at my job. I have a life outside of work I coach my kid’s soccer team, I actually see my friends, I don’t check email on weekends,” he began in his Reddit post.

He explained that his manager had recently promoted him to team lead, which sounded great at first until he learned what the role would entail. He would be required to manage six of his colleagues, which he pointed out is something he’s never done before, and there’s no training offered; he would have to be on-call for emergencies around the clock, and he would have to attend all manager meetings, which would add 10 additional hours to his workweek.

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He would also be expected to be “visible” and “always available.” On top of that, he would be doing the same project work he’s already doing, just with “leadership” added on top. But his new salary would only be $71,500.

“Let me do that math for you. That’s a $3,500 raise. Which is 5%. Maybe 6% if I’m being generous,” he continued. “For what would realistically be 55-60 hour weeks, weekend emails and basically being on a leash. My manager kept emphasizing how this was a “great opportunity” and how the “leadership experience” would be invaluable for my career.”

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After turning down the role, he said he’s being treated differently.

After thinking about it for some time, he decided to turn down the role, much to the dismay of his manager, who called him “unambitious.” Since that time, he has also noticed that he’s not being invited to certain meetings.

“My manager made a comment in front of the team about how ‘some people are content staying where they are and that’s fine I guess.’ The person they ended up promoting (an external hire) is already stressed out of her mind after three weeks,” he said. “I’ve watched my coworkers climb the ladder and slowly become shells of themselves. They’re making more money sure but they’re also on blood pressure medication and they missed their kids’ school plays and they can’t remember the last time they had a hobby.”

He questioned if he might’ve harmed his own career by turning down the promotion, but pointed out that he doesn’t aspire to climb the corporate ladder and be miserable in the process. Many other Redditors were in agreement that he did the right thing for him, and if the company really wanted him in that role, they could’ve at least offered more money with the new position.

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Most employees don’t have a great work-life balance.

A survey of 2,300 North Americans conducted by ELVTR, a career education company, found that for most workers, taking a vacation doesn’t mean disconnecting from the office. An estimated 46% of employees struggle to switch off from work while on vacation, while 68% admit to working while on vacation.

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Sadly, prioritizing work-life balance can feel almost impossible for most employees in today’s job market. No one is willing to risk looking like they are slacking compared to their co-workers, even if that isn’t the case. 

Suddenly, those moments when employees are able to find that time to disconnect from work and spend time with their family and friends, or enjoy the hobbies they love, become that much more precious. The American mindset is all about living to work, but truly, some people just want to work so they can live their lives. 

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.