Xann Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 6 months into a new job, the company I work for has been acquired by a Russian oligarch. No problem with the Russian bit, but for me, the petrodollar is a tainted currency. My current job is sort of interesting: my colleagues are great, pension, share options, tix for sporting events, access to AVTV and everyone else's streams. Travel is there too, if I so choose. Walked away from jobs before that I've deemed ethically unsound. 8 years ago I took a 50% pay cut rather than continuing to work with characters with country piles and yachts whom I found to be quite repulsive individuals. Also returned an 'all in' company car because I deemed it unnecessary. Now however I'm in my forties, my girlfriend who's now much better after a 3 year illness, wants kids yesterday and she's not keen for me to leave work. Would like to return to music really, but it's still an industry in turmoil. Also after a 22 year stay we don't know how much longer we want to stay in London. I'm foxed. Anyone else walked away from money for the sake of their soul/sanity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 You work to live not live to work. Do what you need to do to make your life better. If this involves the Petrodollar so be it IMO. Elements of my job are pretty crap and sometimes morally a bit dubious but its paying the bills and allows me to do what I want to do. You could always consider outside work stuff to improve your karmic balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I walked away from a job for love .... had the now Mrs H come to live in the Uk and I carried on working in London I would have barely seen her , she would have been lonely and struggled to settle in .... but by me giving up my job and spending a year in Budapest it all worked out much better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 ...giving up my job and spending a year in Budapest... What did you do that year? That's a professional question, not a personal one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Work to Live. That's my motto. I dislike people who say Oh I'm gonna quit I hate my job. Nobody loves their job that's why you're paid to be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 ...giving up my job and spending a year in Budapest... What did you do that year? That's a professional question, not a personal one. used to walk with Mrs h to work then go to Language school for the morning ..then go the cinema or walk about Budapest sightseeing and stuff ... then go to Margaret island for run .. meet Mrs H from work and pickup a bite to eat lovely in the Spring and summer ... not so nice in the winter when it turns mightily cold I had a couple of job interviews but it was quite tough ... I got through various rounds with Lufthansa and was down to the final 2 ..me with the better IT skills or the other bloke who spoke fluent Hungarian and German ..needless to say I came second but the other problem was I had sold my house in the UK and the interest rate was quite decent then( and tax free for me at that point) so I was picking up a decent amount in interest which meant I was earning more on that than I would on a job in Hungary so I never really had any great desire to go find work if I'm honest 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 but the other problem was I had sold my house in the UK and the interest rate was quite decent then( and tax free for me at that point) so I was picking up a decent amount in interest which meant I was earning more on that than I would on a job in Hungary so I never really had any great desire to go find work if I'm honest Bloody dole bludgers! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 Nobody loves their job that's why you're paid to be there. Not so, I've been spoiled really - but it meant spending extended periods away from home, which ain't good for relationships (it was terminal for one of 7 years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted August 5, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted August 5, 2013 Not on ethical grounds but definitely for the sake of my soul/sanity. Spent the first 15 years of my career aggressively climbing the ladder, making a decent wedge and bagging big bonuses. Got so disillusioned by it at about 6 or 7 years ago that I decided to knock the whole corporate thing on the head. I was fed up of working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week to make someone else incredibly rich (and me, only slightly better off). So, I quit the rat race and took my skills to the not-for-profit sector. Massive paycut, nothing in the way of enhanced contract but boy am I happy. I still hate what I do for a living and would much rather win the lottery and not have to bother but despite the fact that I'm earning a lot less than I would be by now (if I'd continued my previous career progression), I get to enjoy my evenings and weekends and I console myself with the fact that although I don't particularly enjoy my work, I'm at least doing something of value. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I've quit jobs because the people I worked with were dickheads and I couldn't stand to spend most of my waking life with them, but because of where the owner's money comes from? Ha! I'd work for the noses if they'd give me a pay rise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Work to Live. That's my motto. I dislike people who say Oh I'm gonna quit I hate my job. Nobody loves their job that's why you're paid to be there. I love my job ..ok love my be a bit strong but I enjoy my job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted August 5, 2013 Moderator Share Posted August 5, 2013 I like my job too, if I didn't I'd walk out tomorrow and earn just as much if not more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Xann, don't forget that oil is needed to run the machines that harvest the crops that feed the world. Nothing inherently wrong with petro dollars. Oligarchs might be a different matter: As a group they represent everything that's wrong with finance and capitalism, but maybe yours is one of the less despicable ones (?!). If Mrs Xann is wanting babies, I think I know what she would say about the whole thing. If you do end up quitting on moral grounds you're a braver, more righteous man than me, for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 Xann, don't forget that oil is needed to run the machines that harvest the crops that feed the world. Nothing inherently wrong with petro dollars. I disagree, we've known for years that burning hydrocarbons is bad. That didn't stop the big energy companies buying up fledgling alternatives and burying them. In 20 years mobile phone companies have done far more work to make greener transport possible than the likes of Esso and Shell - who just want to keep you going back to the pumps. Occasionally they'll pop up with a lame, dead end idea technology like bio diesel just to make it look like they're interested, but, guess what? - You're back at the pump again. If Mrs Xann is wanting babies, I think I know what she would say about the whole thing. You're almost definitely right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I tend not to work in places for the money ..the experience etc is more than enough I have walked away from 2 restaurants when the/a manager starts to look for cutbacks ie quality of ingredients or staff I'm surprised the wife hasn't left me yet with all of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 we've known for years that burning hydrocarbons is bad. That didn't stop the big energy companies buying up fledgling alternatives and burying them. In 20 years mobile phone companies have done far more work to make greener transport possible than the likes of Esso and Shell - who just want to keep you going back to the pumps. Occasionally they'll pop up with a lame, dead end idea technology like bio diesel just to make it look like they're interested, but, guess what? - You're back at the pump again. If ever there was a disastrous idea, biodiesel is it. Where's it going to come from? Arable land. Where's the new arable land going to come from? Brazil. Where's Brazil going to find it? Underneath what is currently the Amazon rainforest. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I don't mind what I do, but I could work in something I really love but that would pay much less than I currently get. I prefer to go for the better money as it allows me to enjoy many other things and it will also afford me more options later in life like early retirement etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Seeing as nobody has asked yet... What is it you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 As for ethics of petrochemicals etc.. I haven't even one iota of problems with them. The world is a better place because of the advancement afforded to us by combustion engines. I think the damage done to the environment is a very small cost to the gains. We also don't know how much effect it has on climate just that it does have an effect. I sure as hell wouldn't make a job decision based on working for a petrochemical company. There isn't anything ethically wrong with them that is any worse than working for a government that spies on it's own people etc.. Seeing as nobody has asked yet... What is it you do? Good question, what is it specifically that brings up ethics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 As for ethics of petrochemicals etc... There isn't anything ethically wrong with them that is any worse than working for a government that spies on it's own people etc.. What is it you do? Nursing and social services on the same ethical footing as the petrochems? It's got bad under the Tories, but it's not quite that bad yet. I work in sport internet broadcast. My immediate boss would like to do cover a wider repertoire (that's partly why he took on a muso). Realistically I don't see it happening. Too much money in betting, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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