High-paying career that eventually lets you have autonomy and work 4x a week?
I have two family members who broke their back but it's paid off -- they work 6-7 hours 4x a week. One is a doctor the other is a stock broker.
I'm in the business world. Specifically a startup, so maybe that explains a bunch. But the end is never in sight.
I feel like a lot of motivation for my family members was that "it'd get better", i don't have that light at the end of the tunnel lol.
I'm willing to go back to school for higher ed. I got a degree in poli sci and work in comms rn for a tech co, I do mess around with some work for agentic AI systems *a bit*
Jobadvisor
Pathway 1: AI Prompt Engineering & AI Solutions Consulting
- How the 4-Day / Autonomy Setup Works: Once you master AI workflows (using tools like LangChain, CrewAI, or AutoGen alongside prompt systems), you switch from being an employee to an independent consultant or retainer-based contractor. Clients pay $100–$200+/hr for implementation and strategy, not hours billed.
- Retraining Needed: No degree required. Build 3–4 complex agentic AI case studies, earn targeted certifications, and learn basic Python scripting.
- Timeline: 6 to 12 months.
Pathway 2: Specialized Healthcare (CRNA, PA, or Specialized Therapy)
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): High-paying non-physician role ($200k+ average). CRNAs frequently work 3×12-hour or 4×10-hour shifts with zero take-home work.
- Physician Assistant (PA) or Physical/Occupational Therapist: Shift-based healthcare means when your shift ends, work stops completely. Many clinic and hospital settings allow 4-day block schedules.
- How the Autonomy Works: High demand means you choose your schedule. Locum tenens (contracting) lets you set your own rates and days worked.
- Retraining Needed: Accelerated BSN + CRNA doctorate (4–5 years total) or PA master's program (3 years with prerequisites).
- Timeline: 3 to 5 years.
Pathway 3: Fractional / Independent Corporate Communications
- How the 4-Day / Autonomy Setup Works: Instead of being an in-house Director of Comms, you become a "Fractional Head of Comms" or Crisis Comms Consultant for 3–4 companies at once. You charge a flat retainer (e.g., $3,000–$5,000/month per client) for executive coaching, messaging framework, and press strategy.
- Why it fits: You control your calendar, batch client meetings into 3 or 4 days, and completely block off your Fridays.
- Retraining Needed: None. Requires 2–3 years of building targeted case studies and direct client outreach.
- Timeline: 1 to 2 years to build a full client base.
Pathway 4: Tech / Corporate Companies with Mandated 4-Day Weeks
- Target Roles: Product Marketing Manager (PMM), Technical Program Manager, or Developer Relations (DevRel).
- Where to Look: Platforms like 4DayWeek.io and FlexJobs specifically index high-paying Tech, Marketing, and Operations roles at companies with 4-day policies (e.g., Buffer, Kickstarter, Bolt).
- Timeline: Immediate to 6 months.
Path Comparison
| Pathway | Upside Potential | Upfront Time/Cost | Level of Autonomy |
| AI Solutions Consulting | Very High ($150k–$300k+) | Low (6–12 mos self-study) | High (Client-based control) |
| Specialized Healthcare (CRNA/PA) | Extremely High ($120k–$220k+) | High (3–5 yrs higher ed) | Total (Zero off-hours work) |
| Fractional Comms Lead | High ($100k–$200k) | Low (1–2 yrs networking) | Total (Self-employed) |
| 4-Day Tech Company Role | Moderate-High ($110k–$180k) | None (Immediate pivot) | Moderate (Standard employment) |
A friend of mine lost his little daughter recently
After just a week of sudden illness a friend of mine who is also a co-worker lost his 5 year old daughter. The friend tried to get at least a week off to complete the necessary rituals and to cool down a bit. The fucking company outright rejected for the unpaid bereavement leave.
I am just sitting here being sad about the whole situation. The friend took sick leave and could not care less if they fire him or not. I am also contemplating to quit incase they fire him. This is f*cking nuts! I would rather be homeless and penniless than being loyal to these heartless shitty people.
Sorry for the rant.
Jobadvisor
- Be the protective buffer: Don't talk about work or management with him unless he brings it up. Right now, workplace drama is background noise compared to his grief.
- Handle practical, low-demand needs: Grieving parents often forget or lack the energy to eat, clean, or run errands. Drop off groceries, bring pre-made meals, or handle small day-to-day logistics without asking him to manage or direct you.
- Keep your support quiet at work: Protect his privacy and defend his absence to others without escalating stress that could land back on his plate.
- Hold off on immediate impulse quitting: Your outrage is 100% justified, but don't blow up your own financial safety on a sudden impulse today. Being employed gives you the bandwidth, stability, and resource base to actively support your friend through this crisis.
- Begin a quiet exit strategy: Start updating your resume, reaching out to your network, and applying elsewhere behind the scenes. Channel your anger into getting out on your own terms rather than letting them force a crisis on you.
- Document everything: If management attempts to penalize your friend or retaliate against anyone supporting him, keep paper trails of emails, policy docs, and leave requests off company devices.
Almost fired over company needing to use my phone
Just got a new job in ND. Today was actually my first day. I get in, get the tour, meet the team, and first thing I do is meet with IT to set up my computer. Pretty normal stuff.
First thing IT says is “we’ll need you to download an app and use your personal cell number for an authenticator that you’ll use to log into everything.” This was never mentioned in the job description nor during the interview process. I said “I’m not comfortable using my personal device for work. Is there an alternative?” I was told by IT, no. A phone must be used. I said I’m still not comfortable using mine, can the company provide me a phone or compensate me for the use of mine?
40 min later, after not being able to set up anything, my new manager hands me their phone and says “HR is on the phone for you.” HR says there is no other way than a phone app, they will NOT be providing a cell phone as I work on location, AND THEN SAY “if this is happening now, maybe this isn’t a good fit and we should part ways here.” ….. I haven’t even worked there for two hours yet. They’d rather lose a brand new employee than find a work around or give me a phone?
I didn’t know what to say. I said “I just left a job to work here and now you are wanting to fire me because I don’t want to use my phone for work purposes?”
“We aren’t firing you, you just don’t seem like a good fit.” They eventually mentioned after saying a version of “maybe we should just let you go” a few more times that they would agree to a $2.5 dollar stipend a month for the “minimal” use of my phone that will happen. I could take it or leave it, but they will need a for sure yes or no to this arrangement because they don’t want to have this conversation again in the future and will not accept a maybe.
After a little more stunned silence I agreed, what choice did I have, and hung up. I continued my FIRST DAY until the end, but I’m left shocked, hurt, and frustrated that they can even treat a new employee like that over my OWN phone.
Jobadvisor
- The "Cost" Wasn't the Issue: A $2.50 monthly stipend is insultingly low (it barely covers pennies a day), proving this wasn't about money for them—it was about immediate compliance and dominance.
- Bad HR Practice: Normal companies offer alternatives like hardware security keys (e.g., YubiKeys) for employees who don't want work software on personal devices, or they provide a basic corporate device.
- Zero Trust Environment: They have shown you exactly how they handle friction: through threats, ultimatums, and coercive tactics rather than reasonable discussion or problem-solving.
- Quietly Restart Your Job Search: Treat this job as a temporary paycheck, not a long-term home. Re-open your applications, reach out to recent contacts, and keep interviewing. You owe this company zero loyalty.
- Isolate the App on Your Phone:
- If it is strictly an authenticator app (like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator), it generally does not give the company access to your personal photos, messages, or web history.
- However, do not agree to install Mobile Device Management (MDM) software (like Intelligent Hub or Company Portal) that gives them remote-wipe or device-monitoring permissions without a proper company-owned device.
- Turn off all unnecessary permissions (location, contacts, microphone) for the app in your phone's settings.
- Keep Paper Trails: Document this incident in your personal notes (date, time, names, and what was said). If they display further hostile behavior or retaliate because you questioned policy, you will want a clear log of events.
- Work to Rule: Do your job effectively during working hours to secure your income, but emotionally detach. Do not go above and beyond for a company that threatened to dump you before lunchtime on day one.
We’re out. My husband quit/retired today.
Just wanted to share something happy.
I retired from teaching (32 years) at 54 with a small but somewhat livable pension. That was a couple of years ago.
My husband is 58 and just quit/retired today. I’ve never in 36 years seen him so carefree and joyful. You can tell he feels like a huge weight was lifted off of him.
We’ve avoided debt as much as possible (it’s nearly impossible when you’re poor, so we did have some car notes, etc back in the day).
When we got raises (which wasn’t often), we never increased our expenses to spend it. It went straight into savings.
Unnecessary spending has always been kept to a minimum. Library books, used DVDs, coupons, co-ops, we grow a lot of our own herbs and veggies. And melons and berries. We get eggs in exchange for tomatoes and other fresh veggies from a local rancher. We don’t eat a lot of meat.
We don’t pay for any streaming services, we got rid of Amazon, we never do food delivery or eat out, except for birthdays. (I’m a really good cook.)
Also, the VA increased his disability from 80% to 100%, which doubled his disability payment. And in our state, when you’re 100% disabled per the VA, you pay zero property taxes. That alone is $1000 a month savings. $12K a year.
And his parents left him a little nest egg. $600 a month comes to us in a check for 10 years. It’s groceries. 🤷🏻♀️
So we’re not exactly wealthy, but we did it.
And fuck capitalism. Fuck it with a dry old cactus.
I encourage anyone and everyone to get out if they at all can. My father in law was a workaholic and died at 65, just as he was going to retire. He never got a day of retirement. That’s one of the reasons my husband wanted to do it now rather than later: live the life his dad never got to.
Jobadvisor
My company started charging us $8 if we forget our badge
Not even joking.
They installed new turnstiles at our office a few months ago. If you forget your badge, security prints you a temporary one and payroll deducts an $8 “replacement access fee” from your next check.
The temporary badge is literally a piece of paper in a plastic holder that gets returned at the end of the day.
One guy questioned it because he forgot his badge twice in the same pay period and got charged $16. HR apparently told him the fee is meant to “encourage personal responsibility.”
Meanwhile our office coffee machine has been broken since May because replacing it “isn't in the current budget.”
Jobadvisor
- Federal / Standard Rules (US): Under federal labor laws (FLSA), an employer generally cannot make mandatory payroll deductions for employer-required items (like badges, uniforms, or broken tools) if doing so drops your net pay below minimum wage for that pay period.
- State Specific Rules: In many states (like California, New York, Pennsylvania, and others), employers cannot make arbitrary payroll deductions for administrative fees or discipline unless it is specifically permitted by state law or you give explicit, written consent for that specific deduction. A blanket HR policy does not always legally suffice.
- Administrative Cost vs. Reality: A printed piece of paper in a reusable plastic holder costs pennies. Labeling it an "access fee" rather than actual material cost makes it look a lot like an illegal disciplinary wage fine.
- Stash a Spare: Ask security for a permanent duplicate or report a "lost" badge once to keep a secondary badge permanently hidden in your car's glove box or wallet.
- Digitize Your Badge: If your badge uses standard RFID or NFC, see if your phone or a low-cost key fob cloner can mirror the signal so you always have a digital backup on hand.
- Keep the Paper Badge: If you do get hit with the $8 fee, demand to keep the temporary badge at the end of the day. If you paid $8 for a piece of paper, you own that piece of paper—keep it in your glove compartment to reuse the next time you forget your main card.