I'm a 'grumpy stayer' at my tech job. I'm not happy with the pay but I stick around because leaving one mediocre job for another feels pointless.

• An LA-based tech worker told Insider they stay at their job because it's convenient.

• Management sees them as difficult because they loudly advocate for better pay and boundaries for their colleagues.

• They haven't seen better job opportunities and aren't optimistic they'd find vastly different working conditions elsewhere.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with an anonymous tech worker in their 40s. Insider verified their employment and is withholding their name to protect their employment. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I've worked full-time as the content director for a New York-based tech startup for about three and a half years. The job is convenient because I can work remotely from my home in LA, but otherwise, I'm a "grumpy stayer" because I'm not completely happy with my work situation.

I would much rather work as a full-time freelance writer and digital nomad. However, once the pandemic hit, many of my projects dried up, and in April 2020, I took a full-time position here.

I'm a grumpy stayer who's become more vocal about my unhappiness

At this tech startup, I oversee a content schedule much like a magazine would work. We create content to match our sales goals, and I help plan and manage the project and writers from start to finish.

I've become more assertive in my 40s, which management doesn't always appreciate. HR and the executive team don't like that I'm an advocate and likely see me as grumpy or difficult, but I don't care.

For instance, if we're given unreasonably tight deadlines, I'll openly address the entire team, including my boss, explaining why such timelines are unfair. I advise my co-workers to disregard emails and requests beyond working hours and encourage them to voice their concerns if the workload becomes overwhelming.

I advocate for my co-workers. For example, at our last team meeting, they said, "Let's talk about what's going well and what's not working," but then everybody is just sitting there looking at each other.