A 29-year-old former corporate employee who was laid off from his job has taken up a part-time dishwashing role paying $11 ( ₹1,049) an hour after months of unsuccessful attempts to secure another position.
The man said he was dismissed in April and received what he described as a 'nice' nine-month severance package. However, despite having financial savings that could support him for years, he struggled to cope with the lack of routine and purpose that followed his job loss.
In a social media post titled, "From corporate to $11/h dishwashing job," he said he had submitted more than 200 job applications and attended over 15 interviews, but none resulted in a new job.
The prolonged job search began to affect his mental well-being, he said, as his days lost their structure.
"Dismayed and my mental health taking a nose dive, I lost all structure to my days and felt useless. After 4 months being unemployed, I still can't detach my identity from this constant need to find the next corporate gig I hated in the first place, just for the feeling of belonging," the man said.
He explained that his decision to take up the dishwashing job was not driven by financial pressure. Having maintained frugal spending habits, he said his emergency savings could last him for around five years.
"I just took a $11/h dishwashing part-time gig starting next week. I never thought I'd come to this and I'm not doing this for the money, but to feel useful, in any way," the man said.
He said he hoped the job would restore some structure to his daily life and help him switch off from the anxiety he had been experiencing.
“To give structure to my days or maybe I'm rationalising this to myself. I'm hoping this experience can be grounding and I can turn off this anxious mind for a few hours a day.”
The man also questioned whether financial independence or retirement would necessarily make him feel less anxious, given how much time he would have without work.
"Even after all my hobbies, there is still so much time left. And this constant, desperate urge to fill it with work. I wonder what my father, who's worked corporate for 30 years, will feel when he reaches retirement age in 3 years. I'm sure he'll feel even more lost than me," he said.
The post attracted responses from users who said they could relate to the loss of identity and routine that can follow unemployment.
"Was laid off from corporate around last year and ended up doing all types of jobs since then. Glad to know I'm not alone," said one user.
Another commented: “Sorry to hear. Remember this moving forward, friend. We are not our job, but many of us are our routine.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
