is my pal right not to work?

before the economic downturn, he was holding a high paying job in an american mnc. his pay was in the region of 5 figures per mth.

later, the company closed and transferred to cheaper location in china - where else. he was retrenched with substantial benefits that could last him for quite a while.

the gabramen brags that our economy is better, more jobs are available. he applied for the same kind of job he's expert in. instead the pay offered was pathetic. it was barely 20% of what he used to get and there were more responsiblity thrown in.

the point was he rejected the post because he felt humiliated that the interviewer told him that for the same kind of pay, there are a couple of FTs who are highly qualified in paper education can easily filled the post.

he rejected cos' if they valued FTs' paper qualifications more than his personal expertise and professional experiences, so be it.

do u think my pal is doing the right thing? he choose to be unemployed cos he got the finance to live without much burden as he has invested very wisely and soundly too using his retrenchment benefits.

his idea was to return to the job circle to contribute his expertise but wasn't offered a reasonable reward. hence, he choose to squat instead of working.

SCENARIO 2:

a gf of mine who's a married mother of growup teens decided to go back to her banking job after a pause of 10 yrs.

she was actually retrenched as she used to be a branch manager of OUB which was fused into UOB (actually which is which is always that confusing to me).

anyway, she was abruptly retrenched. after being a housewife to look after her kids, she decided to work again just to keep her busy and occupied since her kids are bigger now.

the pay offerred was really pathetic and an insult to qualifications and her capability. anyway, she took the job cos her intention wasn't about the pay.

she just wanna spend time back to the banking job. she took it.

this is the second type of professionals who take up job for passing time only, not so much for the livelihood.

SCENARIO 3.

We are all in LEETAHSAR'S WHINNERS CLUB.

one best whinner who was the top of our class finally got a job offered after many years of squatting. again, the tragedy from the economic downturn.

his job pays very well. with all the perks and fringes thrown in, it was slightly above 10K per mth. there was a tiny little catch. he gotta to leave his family and go over to suzhou industrial park to work.

having being unemployed for many years and at the same time unfortunately bogged down to pay for his condo, he took up the job.

he's now permanently stationed in SIP - alone....and the whinning continues. we are MSN quite daily cos he is very lonely and misses his family and his children.

he's only entitled to return to singapore twice a year.

for the sake of his burden - the children education, the non working wife, the car, the condo' instalment, his aged parents etc - he tolerated all.

the last time i saw him, he looks like my grandfather - aged so much and all his hair had whitened. the truth is i was a couple of year older than him ....and he is now a very sad, stressed and lonely man working abroad.

as a bonus to his job, he is now inflicted with hypertension and psorarsis and has to be permanently on medication.

did he do the right thing to have taken this job?