ethics v. desperation

Jaime thinks that it’s very important in preparing for a job search to examine your values and how you would feel about working for certain companies or industries, because to accept any old job in desperation could end up making you feel miserable.

“There are many people who have no moral dilemma working for potentially harmful companies,” says Jaime, “but I feel there are many more who are forced to work for such companies against their principles because they are desperate for a job – and this is so wrong.”

"I feel that when we are searching for jobs we often place far too much emphasis on money, location and hours," says Jaime. "Instead, we need to start looking very closely at the ethics and values of our prospective employers. We need to find an employer whose values and ethics match ours.”

“For instance, if you don't smoke, and feel very strongly about the evils of tobacco, would you work for a tobacco company?" says Jaime. "Probably not if you had other alternatives, but what if the tobacco company was the only employment available to you?"

"What if you were offered work by a bank that was ripping off disadvantaged groups by charging exorbitant fees? Would you go home and sleep well at nights, or would you feel uneasy about being part of such an organization?"

"I would be ashamed to earn heaps from a prestigious firm that the rest of the world hates because it is harming its workers with dangerous materials, polluting the atmosphere or the seas, monopolizing industry, ripping off the poor or leading children astray."

"I would prefer to be on a living wage but working for an organization that did good in the world," says Jaime, "but unfortunately I have yet to find a place for myself in such an organization."

Jaime wants to be proud of her job. She doesn’t want to be a party pariah. Of course, she accepts that there is no such thing as a totally bad company or organization. Someone must collect tax, drill for oil and bank our money; and it is not altogether wrong to want to be the biggest and the richest company in the world.

By maintaining her value system, Jaime is severely narrowing her employment prospects. Yet her argument is valid if for no other reason that by accepting a job from such a company she would feel insecure about her job. She would not feel confident that if the economy got rocky down the line that she would be retained rather than fired. She would feel uneasy every time the arrow on the profit chart tips downwards.

Read more about Jaime:

conflicting values

happy wife, happy life

ethical employer becomes greedy pig

the workplace ogre

Jin and her husband, Rick, were both out of work and she was thrilled to find another job before their money ran out -  until she discovered, among other things, that she has to work with a really nasty and abusive co-worker. A real ogre!

"I want to quit this job immediately, and find another job while my self-esteem is still high," explains Jan, "but Rick urged me to stick it out."

"If you are forced to spend eight hours with a person, day in day out," says Jin, "you want that person to be civil. I put up with years of abuse from my brothers and sisters because I was the baby of the family, and I’m not going to put up with this sort of behavior from co-workers. I couldn’t quit my family, but I can quit this lousy job - but I'm torn between my feelings and what Rick wants!"

"It's often only when you actually start a job and get to know everyone that you realize there’s a problem," says Jin. "Like most job applicants, I wasn’t given an opportunity to meet my prospective co-workers at the interview stage, but even if I had been given that opportunity they would probably have been on their best behavior."

"My interview was conducted solely via the HR Department," says Jin, "and I’m now wise to what this means."

 It means a veritable ogre is waiting for you!"

"There is no clause in my work contract upholding my right to a safe, harmonious working environment," says Jin. "Nevertheless, I feel that the company still has a duty of care to provide such for me."

"I am being constantly harassed, abused and belittled by a co-worker and I feel that my employer is in breach of some sort of duty towards me under occupational health and safety compliance laws."

"I’m not going to bother lodging an official complaint," says Jin. "Complaining got me nowhere as a kid, and it won’t get me anywhere at work either. In fact, it will make matters worse. It will become part of my work history and will jeopardize my future career."

"When employment gurus and all the ‘how to’ books out there maintain that the only acceptable reason for resigning a job is a desire to expand one's horizons, having achieved all one is capable of doing in one's present job and being regretful that one must leave such a wonderful job with a wonderful boss, manager and co-workers, people like me are too scared to complain and as a consequence bullying continues to flourish in workplaces."

"My co-workers are fully aware of what is going on," says Jin, "but just like people do not want to interfere in marital difficulties, people do not want to get involved in workplace difficulties either."

"They expect me to deal with it without complaining. That’s the culture to which I is expected to conform. And, having no support from my husband makes my situation even more miserable."

"There are always other factors involved in the decision to quit besides an abusive or hostile workplace," says Jin, "but it’s generally accepted that conflict with a boss, manager or co-worker underlies most resignations. I could put up with it - I think - from a boss or manager because they are not in my face all the time, but this ogre sits right next to me and I can't get away from her."

Read more of Jin's story:

marriage, a supportive partnership