Would you go against your principles?

[mnahmnah]

Would you go from a job with middle leadership responsibility, full-time, to a part-time job with no leadership, for a 17% pay cut....

Pros - closer to home by miles, less pressure, workload and stress, definitely a nicer work environment too, more time at home and able to do school run for the first time ever

Con - the establishment in question goes against all your moral principles. And the cut in pay that we can’t really afford

I don’t want to get into a debate on what these moral principles are. We all have them. But would you go against your own in this situation?

YABU - don’t do it, stick to your principles
YANBU - sod it, life is short, go for the better work life balance

How strongly do you hold your principles? Can you live with yourself whilst actively working against them? Will your principles prevent you from giving it your all at work?

Will you be working against your principles every day (for e.g. If you were pro-life, would you be a Dr now expected to carry out abortions daily) or is it more a case that some parts of your company do things you don’t like but that you’d be doing things you support (for eg that same pro life Dr. working for an organisation which carries out abortions, but you’d actually be involved in other gynaecological procedures)?

How long will it feel a nicer working environment if you don't believe in the values at work? I think I'd be asking myself for that.

The devil is in the detail. We need more info

I think that not being able to afford the pay cut is more of an issue than your principles

Depends. We all have lines.

I don’t really believe in private education but I work in a private school. I’m a hypocrite but it’s something I can live with.

I couldn’t work for an arms company, or the Conservative party, or a religious organisation.

I dont have many principles, the ones I have are regarding harm to children and animals so no, I'd never go against them. It depends how firmly you hold the belief and what the belief is. Some people consider homosexuality against their principles, I would tell them to get over themselves and their principles.

Very dramatic.

If you can't really afford to take the pay cut then morals are irrelevant. You can't afford to take the job.
Ps being skint is very stressful

If you can’t afford it then surely that your answer without even getting into your principles. But you’re the one who has to look at yourself in the mirror every day so your opinion in really the only one that matters

I've once done something during my job that was against my moral principles. Still feel bad about it years later. I should have refused. I also had a colleague who worked in an abortion clinic for one week (fresh out of nursing school, needed money). She spent ages trying to give her wages back because she couldn't live with it for herself for actively taking part in something that she was against for herself.

Only you can decide. But if you morally have a problem with something, then you will feel bad about it.

Principles arent worth much if you cant afford them. You cant afford a 17% paycut so dontbtake it.

Principles are only worth as much as our comfort level in any situation. There may some Vegans out there who would rather starve to death than eat meat, but I'd wager most would eat it if it were a choice between that and not dying.

Doesn't sound like you're in a position where your principles really need to be tested though, so how much value do you really place on them when you're voluntarily thinking of compromising them?

If it doesn't fit your values then it won't be a nicer place to work. Doesn't matter if there's nespresso on tap, bean bags for brainstorms or a 50% discount at John Lewis, if it's not congruent with your values then you'll be unhappy.

I would swap the full time managerial job for a part time non managerial job in a heart beat, now I am 50 I want better work life balance.

But I would never work for an organisation that is against my principles. I am an accountant, as an example I recently saw a job that supported work life balance but was for an online gambling business. I would be embarrassed to work there, I think if I would feel embarrassed to work somewhere, then I shouldn’t work there.

I mean, not being able to pay your bills shouldn't be incompatible with your principles. Why would you take a possibly stress inducing pay cut you can't afford AND abandon your principles. This doesn't make sense...

Also, if you can’t afford it surely that’s the end of the discussion?

moral principles is a bit vague - some things are stronger than others.

Would you teach your children that you disagree with something, or that it's an absolute complete No No? That would be my cut-off I think.

How is this a moral dilemma? Surely it's a financial one?

I don’t really understand why it’s about the principles when it’s actually about the money.

It would be a question if it was a 17% pay rise for better work/life balance, but totally against your principles.

Two separate issues.

Morals aside. If I could afford it, I'd do it. I'd be happy to cut back/go without to get the pro's of that deal.

Morals, I suppose it depends. I voted YABU because I once ended up working for a company (as an project accountant) for the Head Office of a meat processing company and as a vegetarian that went totally against my principals and I hated every minute of it - but it was a short term contract to save the roof over my head and was offered to me as I knew one of the managers, who knew I needed the work. I would never have applied for it, but felt I couldn't turn it down as it would have made him look bad...

But honestly I truly hated every minute and now I'm (much) older I'd never put myself in that position again.

How much does it go against your principals?

Can you scrimp your make it affordable, or will it save you enough money in other ways (commuting cysts/childcare/cook from scratch) to make it affordable?!

Some good food for thought here guys. Thanks.

It’s not exactly that we CAN’T afford it, more that obviously it’s a drop in income that we are only prepared to take of it’s totally worth it. It may well balance out with less wraparound care costs and definitely less petrol costs.

I think whether or not I could live with it depends on the particular ethos of this place - they can vary. I would gauge that on interview day I think. I know it has a great reputation and someone who used to work with me moved there and loves it.

I don’t want to give more details as it is a polarising issue. No right or wrong. No major ethical issue generally in society I.e drugs, gambling etc. Just my own personal views.

No, not because of your principals but because you can’t afford it. I would however keep looking for a job that fitted your pros list without as much of a paycut.

Whether I could afford it would be my top consideration.

The morals of the company...well it really depends on what you’re referring to here. Would I work for Tesco even though they sell nestlé products which I’m against? Probably. Would I work for Nigel Farage knowing his personally views and public policy? No I wouldn’t.

I am a vegetarian so I could not work in the fur industry or anything to do with meat, I would balk at working for somewhere with guns or defence for instance, but I could work with a company that had different religious/political and alternative views - because I believe in the freedom to choose.

I think it depends on whether your 'principles' will eventually shine through and cost you your job, whether you are able to fake it whilst you are there and if you are so embedded in your views as to not accept others have different principles, and are entitled to them, then it probably won't work in the long term. and it is not worth wasting your time.

Your principles - depending on what they are could cost you a happier, easier life - so we need to know what kind of values are at stake I think.

Depends
I was without work during lockdown. Kept matching with jobs at various betting companies. I just couldn't work for them. Same token I couldn't work for British American Tabaco.