CLANE FEATURES: Work/Life Balance

At 4:30 am, every Monday morning, Dayo’s alarm goes off with a loud, consistent beep. It’s early, he’s tired but he cannot afford to hit the snooze button.

Dayo lives in Ogun State with his parents and wife, Aisha. Their small family unit have made their home in a 5-bedroom duplex located in a sprawling gated estate.

“I have to leave my home at 5:30 am to make it to the office for 9:30 am.”

Dayo, who recently completed his PHD, works as a data scientist in a technology company located in Victoria Island (V.I), Lagos. He has been with the company for three months, and in spite of the long commute, he thoroughly enjoys the work he does with them.

Thankfully, the company has been pretty flexible with my start time. My colleagues are expected to be at the office for 8 am; I have an hour grace period.

It takes Dayo about 3.5 hours to get to V.I from Ogun State. But he is not the one behind the wheels dodging potholes, avoiding flooded streets, and dealing with Lagos’s infamous traffic jam. Dayo father loaned him a driver who drives him from home to work every Monday morning and then back home on Friday evening.

My driver is on my father’s payroll, but I dash him N1,500 at the end of the week. I sleep through most of the drive or I press my phone.

When Dayo is done with his workday on Monday, his driver does not take him back to his home in Ogun State but to a guesthouse in Ikeja.

I only go back home after work on Friday. I spend the weekend with my wife, and I don’t see her again until the end of the week.

The guesthouse costs him N25,000 a week — a worthy investment that cuts out a significant portion of his drive time from his home to the office.

When I’m at the guesthouse, I can leave at 7 am and get to the office around 8. Unfortunately, I don’t get to sleep as much during the short hour-long drive.

In addition to the guesthouse bill, Dayo also buys petrol, lunch, bottled water and a bowl of fruit during the work week.

On Mondays, I bring a packed lunch to work. I spend about N10,000 on fuel; N10,000 data (Airtel); N2,000 on lunch; and N500 on a pack of bottled water.

So, how much of his salary does Dayo get to save? About 40%. He and his wife do not have kids, yet, and because they live with Dayo’s parents, they don’t have to worry about paying rent.

Oh, I forgot to add: Our gym membership costs N16,000; feeding money is N20,000, and I help out family members from time to time.

Dayo gives away about N40,000 in family dash every month.

Thankfully, the company has been pretty flexible with my start time. My colleagues are expected to be at the office for 8 am; I have an hour grace period.

It takes Dayo about 3.5 hours to get to V.I from Ogun State. But he is not the one behind the wheels dodging potholes, avoiding flooded streets, and dealing with Lagos’s infamous traffic jam. Dayo father loaned him a driver who drives him from home to work every Monday morning and then back home on Friday evening.

My driver is on my father’s payroll, but I dash him N1,500 at the end of the week. I sleep through most of the drive or I press my phone.

When Dayo is done with his workday on Monday, his driver does not take him back to his home in Ogun State but to a guesthouse in Ikeja.

I only go back home after work on Friday. I spend the weekend with my wife, and I don’t see her again until the end of the week.

The guesthouse costs him N25,000 a week — a worthy investment that cuts out a significant portion of his drive time from his home to the office.

When I’m at the guesthouse, I can leave at 7 am and get to the office around 8. Unfortunately, I don’t get to sleep as much during the short hour-long drive.

In addition to the guesthouse bill, Dayo also buys petrol, lunch, bottled water and a bowl of fruit during the work week.

On Mondays, I bring a packed lunch to work. I spend about N10,000 on fuel; N10,000 data (Airtel); N2,000 on lunch; and N500 on a pack of bottled water.

So, how much of his salary does Dayo get to save? About 40%. He and his wife do not have kids, yet, and because they live with Dayo’s parents, they don’t have to worry about paying rent.

Oh, I forgot to add: Our gym membership costs N16,000; feeding money is N20,000, and I help out family members from time to time.

Dayo gives away about N40,000 in family dash every month.