Bengaluru techie rejects ₹20 lakh salary hike

A career move is often judged by one simple question: how much more will it pay? But a Bengaluru software developer reportedly looked at a different part of the equation before making his choice.The 31-year-old decided to stay with his existing job despite being offered a substantial salary increase. His decision was later shared by Rohan Dhawan, founder of UAbility, in a LinkedIn post.

From ₹45 lakh to ₹65 lakh

According to Dhawan, the developer earns ₹45 lakh annually and was offered a ₹20 lakh hike. Had he accepted it, his yearly salary would have reached ₹65 lakh.But the new position also came with several additional responsibilities.

More work beyond the offer letter

The developer would have been expected to manage a team almost twice as large as his current one.The role would also involve calls with the US team four nights a week, along with travel that he would not be able to easily refuse. His weekends could also be affected by work commitments.“The problem was everything that wasn't written in the offer letter. Calls with the US team 4 nights a week. Travel he wouldn't be able to refuse. A team almost double the size, which means his calendar stops belonging to him and starts belonging to 12 other people. Weekends that stay technically free and never actually are,” Dhawan explained.

His father's reaction

LinkedIn post

Dhawan said the decision surprised the developer's father, who questioned why his son would reject such a large increase.“His father called the same evening he said no and said: ₹20 lakh extra mil raha hai. Problem kya hai? Aaj kal log 10% hike ke liye job badal lete hain.”The father's response was focused on the financial opportunity, while his son was considering the effect the role could have on his life outside work.

Why his personal routine mattered

Dhawan said the developer and his wife are planning to have a child next year.The developer also trains five mornings a week and has dinner at his parents' home every Wednesday. The added demands of the position were therefore important to his decision.“People don't realize that past a certain salary, the extra lakhs stop coming out of the company's pocket and start coming out of yours. His evenings, and the version of him his wife married,” he explained.

What the developer chose

In the end, the developer decided that he did not want to take the new role with its added responsibilities, despite the ₹20 lakh increase in annual pay.Dhawan's post focused on the less visible side of a job offer and the personal choices that can sit behind a career decision.“Every offer letter tells you exactly what you'll be paid. None of them tell you what you'll be paying,” he said.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and is presented for informational purposes only.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)