I just took a xanax a moment ago to calm myself down. I'm really upset about something I don't know how to handle appropriately.

If anyone remembers from the MOM, I mentioned I would be getting laid off from my casino job and I was recently laid off as planned.

So, I'm unemployed in difficult economic times. I recently applied at the corp. headquarters of a large company doing computer support to the executives and later got an interview. The next day after the interview the companies stock tanked to the lowest it's been in several years. They put a hiring freeze into effect and I got put at the sidelines for that job.

Now. I have a dilemma. I've been asked to work for a VERY LARGE company. The company has hundreds of thousands employees over the globe.

This would seem like a good thing, but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with how I feel about the company.

They have done somethings that I don't agree with over the course of their existence. I don't want to identify the company, but the things they have done involve using slave labor during WWII, price fixing, and multiple accounts of bribery. They admit they have done all of these. They paid HUGE fines for the bribery charges and price fixing, but have done barely anything to reconcile their slave labor usage. The slave labor is what carries the most weight of all of these violations. The latest bribery charge was within the last few years.

They claim to have put tighter controls on things and of course the folks involved with the bribery are gone. I don't know if any executives are still around that were involved during their slave labor usage.

Whats giving me a hell of a lot of anxiety is that my unemployment insurance stipulates that I can't refuse a reasonable offer for work and they are offering a nice salary with benefits.

I have another job that is in the works to work for a hospital, but at a lower wage and lesser benefits for the first 6 months as it's contract to hire. As with other jobs I've applied, there is no guarantee that this will pan out.

My question... is it ok to dismiss my concerns of morals and take the job? After all, what they have done is in their past and they make a claim to have cleaned up their act in the past few years. I seriously doubt I'll be asked to do anything immoral or unethical during my time at the job.

It's not like they are an abortion clinic or anything, in fact, they have made some really cool inventions that have helped mankind very much.

I'm being torn apart by this and I'm turning to EA to give some advice.

I can understand your dilemma but you need a job. Your first responsibility is to you and your need for food, shelter and security. Once you have the job you might find out more about the company and nothing will stop you from further job searches. If they have benefits such as tuition reimbursement use them to further your education. They may be working to solve past problems. Good luck!

Sounds like you are describing Bayer... oh well, it does not matter which company or corporation in my opinion.

First and formost what matters is YOU, and how you feel about who you are and what you do. Isn't there a line in one of Shakespear's plays that goes "This above all else, to thyne own self be true..."

So take old Shakespear's advice on this, be TRUE to yourself first. You aren't going to use or even enjoy the products of any slave labor. The organization you work for may have done that sixty years ago, but think about this. The good old U.S. of A. had extensively used slavery up through the 1860's, now, what if, what if EVERY American had shown such revulsion toward slavery after the "Civil War" and said - "NO! I will not even be a U.S. citizen because most of the U.S. had slaves up until only last year! I want to defect! I am not gonna stay!" There would be no U.S.

What about some of the disgraceful behaviour of our own much vaunted C.I.A. and some units of the U.S. Army during the Viet Nam War? If we all took your line of reasoning, no one would ever have ever been in the Armed Forces after the Mai Lai disaster, or the "Phoenix" program, or the "Ill wind" program, or , or , or , the list is endless. Instead, we dusted ourselves off and said something like "That was really stupid, let's not do that again."

What if I today decided that Imperial Japan never really admitted to nor atoned for the horrible war crimes they committed? They used slave labor, they employed biological warfare, they tortured and murdered innocent civilians by the millions.... so let's say I refuse to buy products from Japan or any Japanese company or corporation.... and the only person I would really hurt would be ME. The Japanese could take the same dim view of the U.S. for our unforgivable treatment of Japanese immigrants and Neisei (U.S. born Japanese heritage U.S. citizens) in the wake of Pearl Harbor, what if Japan decided they would no longer deal with the U.S., their number one trading partner?

An organization, a government, a corporation, and even an individual makes mistakes, some very horrible and egregious mistakes. But when a mistake is made, no matter what level or how severe, we need to dust ourselves off, make whatever appropriate corrections we can, perform apropriate acts of atonement and contrition, and get on with living. Hopefully we live on using the wisdom we gained from our mistakes and even the mistakes made by others, and we reduce the frequency and severity of out mistakes.

Only you will know what is best for you but this I would ask of you

You have a hell of a lot of anxiety now just contemplating compromising your morals now How will you feel after you get the job

will you be able to sleep at night

will you be angry at your self

will it cause you to go in to a depression

do the ends justify the means you need to survive you’re the one who has to live with your self it is a hard decision and I know you will do what’s best

and I hope all the best in which ever choice you make

DeaconBlues,

You make some good points. I live in Memphis and I hear about corruption and scandal nearly constantly having to do with the city counsel, the school system, etc.

I shop at Walmart where they are known for Union busting practices and I occasionally drink coke and they have been known to do the samething. I can't think of any company or organization I deal with that'd been involved in slave labor, but you're right... I do live in the U.S.

The company I worked for has a stellar ethics and moral history. They do casino business, so their image is everything.

Granted, the Xanax is still working in me, but your helping me lean toward the concept that as long as I'm not asked to do anything unethical, then what's it matter? People, companies, and governments make mistakes. Well see if that concept can make it through the day. I don't have to given an answer for the next few days when their HR gets the signing bonus, pay rate, and benefits squared away.

it sounds like a healthy choice good luck

I hope you take the job. Keep the second job possibility open. No company is perfect.

incuse (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:29 pm My question... is it ok to dismiss my concerns of morals and take the job? After all, what they have done is in their past and they make a claim to have cleaned up their act in the past few years. I seriously doubt I'll be asked to do anything immoral or unethical during my time at the job.

It's not like they are an abortion clinic or anything, in fact, they have made some really cool inventions that have helped mankind very much.

I'm being torn apart by this and I'm turning to EA to give some advice.

Hello incuse,

I don't know what the right answer moral conundrum actually is. This is something that you will ultimately have to answer for yourself. What ever answer you come up with I just want you to know I think you are a really great person to be asking this consideration. The fact is a lot of people would see the money and forget the morals.

Here's something that may help you come up with an answer to you question. How about flipping the question?

Would it be immoral NOT to take the job? If they do something in the future and you are not there to bear witness, you won't be able to do anything to stop them.

I have had many jobs in my life, my thing was if they make a good offer I have a job. I have worked for just about every kind of business and there were some that I did not like but it paid the bills.

River

Many companies here and elsewhere routinely pay bribes. In many places it is a way of life and is an expected and required element of doing business. It just is. Get past it.

You buy from wally world. That is a bad one. They are responsible for beating a lot of small companies into the ground - competitors and vendors alike. They are responsible for a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs from the US to China and elsewhere. Never shop WalMart if avoidable - it is immoral and unpatriotic, in my book. Same with Target - they just spin nicer.

Slavery? There are places where it still exists in the world. Shameful. When did this company use it - WWII? Lots of shit happened then. DOesnt mean anything today unless you want it to. Did they clean up there act, do the right thing? If not, fuck em. If so, forgive em.

In my book, ethics and pragmatism have to be weighed. Pragmatism wins here, me thinks. Take the job.