For this ex-exec, money doesn’t buy happiness.
A British woman who quit her high-flying corporate job to become a minimum-wage factory worker says the gigantic pay cut has been worth it to eliminate stress from her life.
Shany Hagan, 56, spent two decades working as a business development manager, earning $66,000 per year (£50,000).
While that figure may not sound like an exorbitant amount, it’s far more than the UK’s average annual wage, which stands at $47168 (£37,430).
In Hagan’s home city of York, the white-collar worker was building wealth and living in luxury, but her mental and physical health was suffering.
“I had been in the business for 20 years, and it had always been very stressful,” she told Southwest News Service. “I could cope when I was younger, but now I want time to reflect on myself and my life. In those kind of roles, it doesn’t matter how hard you work, they will always want more from you.”
Now, Hagan has secured a new job working as a floor worker at a factory — earning just $32,250 (£24,000) a year.
But bringing home less than half of what she used to doesn’t phase the mother-of-one, who has paid off her mortgage.
Since May, Hagan has been working at a factory where she packs food, labels products, does computer admin and cleans.
“I wanted to be on my feet a bit more, a more physical job, to lose some weight for my health, which I have,” she explained. “I don’t get the Sunday evening scaries at all, and the people are kind. You can actually switch off when you leave.”
The mom-of-one admits she has to watch what she spends, but says it’s allowed her extra time to pursue her passion for painting.
And Hagan has declared that she’d rather be thrifty than feel burned out, saying no amount of money can buy back time or health.
“My mental health has already improved, I have such a spring in my step now,” she enthused. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been — and I don’t care what people think about it.”
