Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 75,000: Why this working mom chose family over a bigger pay cheque

Money matters. So does a career.But for many working mothers, there comes a point when another question becomes just as important: How much of my time, energy and family life am I willing to give up for a higher salary?I spoke to several women for this story, and what struck me was that being highly qualified or having years of experience does not always mean chasing the highest-paying job. Sometimes, women are willing to accept a lower salary for flexible hours, predictable schedules, weekends off, work-from-home options, a crche or simply the freedom to be there when their children need them.It is not necessarily about choosing family over a career. For many, it is about finding a way to have both. Take Swati (name changed), for instance.A master's degree holder, Swati was working as a lecturer and teacher at a reputed Delhi-NCR college and earning around Rs 1.5 lakh a month. She had a good job and her organisation also had a creche. But after she had her daughter, things became difficult.The creche was available, but her baby could not adjust to it. Managing a newborn alongside work became overwhelming. By the time Swati returned home, she was exhausted, leaving little energy for her daughter.Initially, she tried to manage both. Eventually, she quit.She later took up a work-from-home job that paid her Rs 75,000 a month — half her previous salary.On paper, it looks like a steep financial compromise.But Swati does not see it that way.The lower-paying job allows her to care for her daughter, continue working and also give time to her home and family. She earns less, but says she is happier and more content.And that raises a larger question: when we compare two jobs, do we only count what is credited to the bank account?‘GIVE ME FLEXIBILITY, EVEN IF I EARN LESS’For Shiwangi Pandey, a new mother working at one of the Big Four companies, flexibility is not a nice-to-have. It is something working mothers actively negotiate for."Work from home is one thing that we bargain on. I do have flexibility, so there isn't that much hassle," she said.But there can be a professional price to that flexibility.Shiwangi said working mothers may prefer domestic projects because offshore clients can require employees to work according to different time zones. That can make an already demanding job harder to manage with a young child."So that is what we bargain on and we lose a lot of good projects there," she said.The compromise can extend to career progression.With her experience, Shiwangi believes she could potentially move up the ladder. But doing so would require more time and effort — something she is not ready to give at this stage of her life."With the kind of experience I have, maybe I could move up the ladder, but right now I am not doing those things because I know that we need more time. That will need more of my time," she said."Lateral movement gets paused just because the child is still small," she added.It is an important distinction. Motherhood does not necessarily make women less ambitious. Sometimes, it simply means putting certain ambitions on hold.And if flexibility disappears altogether, Shiwangi says leaving the job can become a very natural choice."If you don't have timing flexibility, you have to go to office — then leaving the job feels very natural," she said.The reason is practical. In the initial months, babies can be extremely demanding, and mothers often become the default parent."You are the default parent initially. Feeding is dependent on you, sleep is dependent on you. It takes a toll," she said.For Shiwangi, therefore, the question is not whether she wants a career. It is whether her current job leaves enough room for everything else that depends on her.WHEN A JOB FITS AROUND FAMILY LIFEDimple Parmar, APO at Amity University, Noida, has spent 18 years with the organisation.Her decision to stay has been shaped less by one big perk and more by how well the job fits into everyday life.Her earlier job involved a longer commute. When her daughter was young, being closer to home became important. Amity was comparatively nearer.Then there was the five-day week and a largely predictable 9-to-6 schedule. But what Dimple considers an even bigger advantage is the academic calendar."Children's holidays matching with ours is, I think, a major point," she said.Summer breaks and Christmas holidays broadly align with the academic calendar, making it easier to spend time with children when they are also at home.With almost two decades at the same organisation, starting afresh somewhere else is also not an easy proposition.Dimple knows her qualifications and experience could potentially help her find another opportunity. But with family responsibilities, she is not keen to start a new battle from scratch.A higher salary, therefore, would not automatically be enough to make her move.The smaller conveniences matter too. Having a bank on campus means she does not have to take time off for routine banking work. Working in an educational environment also means there is greater understanding when a child has an exam or a parent-teacher meeting.Sometimes, what keeps an employee in a job is not one spectacular perk, but a collection of small things that make everyday life manageable.‘I CAN DO WITH A LESS PAY, BUT NOT MISS WATCHING HIM GROW’For Kritika Oberoi of The Right PR, who has a three-year-old child, the calculation is even more personal.Flexible hours, work-from-home options, a five-day week and breaks that broadly match the school calendar help her manage the unpredictable parts of parenting."When I can shape my work around these moments, I tend to stay calmer," she said. Photo: Kritika Oberoi A school event, an appointment or a last-minute need may not always require taking an entire day off. Being able to work from home can make the difference.But when I asked Kritika what matters more to her — a higher salary or more time with her child — her answer was clear."Personally, more time around my child matters the most," she said.Her reason is simple."Time flies sooner than you realise. The kid is growing, and I just don't want to miss being around him at a time when he needs me for almost all things," she said.For Kritika, taking a lower salary is an acceptable trade-off."I can do with a lower salary but not let go the experience of watching him grow," she said.In other words, there is a deadline to some of the moments she values — and a bigger salary cannot bring them back later.IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE CHILDRENAlka Sharma, a social sector professional with Mahila Housing Trust, offers a different perspective.For her, flexibility is less about school pick-ups or childcare and more about having stability and personal space alongside professional responsibilities.She has considered job offers by looking beyond salary and designation. Longer working hours, additional commuting time and reduced flexibility can change the value of an offer."The new job must bring about an overall improvement and not just a bigger paycheck," she said.Her priorities have also evolved with age."In this chapter of my professional and personal life, I would prioritise a job that brings about security, simplicity and a good deal of predictability," she said.At nearly 55, personal time, family ties and stability have become more important to her than simply chasing a bigger pay cheque. Photo: Alka Sharma Her experience also shows why there is no single formula for what employees value. She has had a supportive husband and family, which made it easier to manage work even when her timings did not match her children's schedules.But not everyone has that support system.For employees without a strong support system at home, workplace flexibility can become particularly important.A CRECHE ON PAPER IS NOT ALWAYS ENOUGHWorkplace support is not just a perk. The law also mandates certain provisions for working mothers.Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, establishments with 50 or more employees are required to provide a creche facility within the prescribed distance.But Swati's experience shows that having a creche does not necessarily solve every mother's childcare problem.And that is where the difference between having a benefit and being able to use it becomes important. A workplace may offer a creche or flexible work arrangements, but what matters is whether they actually fit an employee's circumstances.HR VIEW: A JOB IS NO LONGER JUST ABOUT CTCFrom an HR perspective, this shift is becoming increasingly visible.Saloni Dagly, HR Director at Onsurity, says flexible working hours, hybrid models, five-day workweeks, parental leave and childcare support are increasingly being considered part of the overall employee experience."Employees today are evaluating organisations on more than just compensation. They are looking at flexibility, well-being, growth and how supportive the workplace is during different stages of life," she said.For working parents, the ability to manage school timings, childcare and family responsibilities can directly affect whether they can stay and grow within an organisation.There is also a business case for this. Replacing an experienced employee means additional hiring and training costs, apart from losing organisational knowledge."The focus is therefore gradually moving from simply hiring diverse talent to creating an environment where that talent can build a long-term career," Saloni said.But flexibility alone cannot retain employees."It is important not to generalise that women will always prioritise flexibility over pay. Career progression and fair compensation remain fundamental to retention," she said.That distinction matters.A woman accepting a lower salary for flexibility does not mean she has stopped caring about money, promotions or professional growth.It means she is weighing those things against what the job demands from her outside the workplace.THE HIDDEN VALUE OF FLEXIBILITYSaloni says family-friendly benefits can sometimes outweigh a higher salary, particularly when the difference in compensation is relatively small and flexibility is highly valued.For someone managing childcare or other family responsibilities, commute time, working hours, flexibility around emergencies and the ability to work remotely can have "a very real economic and personal value", she said.Think about what that means in everyday life.Time saved from commuting. A school event attended. A child picked up from school. A day at home when a child is unwell.None of these appear on a salary slip.But they have value.There is, however, another side to the flexibility debate: whether employees feel safe using it."A company may have a flexible-work policy on paper, but if employees feel uncomfortable using it, its impact will naturally be limited," Saloni said.That concern comes through in Shiwangi's experience too.She spoke about the fear some women still have when they disclose a pregnancy — that they may lose opportunities, be asked to leave or see their appraisal affected.She knows women who have had such experiences and believes the fear is still present.So, for women, a supportive workplace is not simply one that offers work from home or a crche.It is one where using those benefits does not quietly damage their careers.THE REAL COST OF A HIGHER SALARYPerhaps that is the bigger lesson from these conversations.When we say someone is earning Rs 1.5 lakh instead of Rs 75,000, we immediately see the Rs 75,000 difference.What we don't always see is what that difference is buying — or what it is costing.Swati's lower-paying job gives her more time with her daughter. Shiwangi has paused some career moves while her child is young. Dimple values predictable hours, school-aligned holidays and a workplace that understands family commitments. Kritika does not want to miss her child's growing-up years. Alka values predictability and personal time at a different stage of her life.Their choices are different. So are their circumstances.But they all point to the same shift: the value of a job is no longer being measured only by its salary.Women still want good pay. They still want promotions, meaningful work and career growth.But many are also asking a harder question: What will this job leave me with at the end of the day?For Swati, the answer was clear.She gave up Rs 75,000 a month.But she did not give up her career.She chose a job that allowed her to earn less — and live a little more.- Ends