# Do I have an ethical obligation to resign from my government job? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728 "2011-07-12T10:55:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728/41 "2011-08-03T11:05:38Z")
The OP said the government set all this up under the assumption it was kosher and only found out after the fact that it wasn’t. Shame you lost the job. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, getting paid just for showing up. I guarantee there will not be many more, if any, jobs like it. > [@](#): > > It is just horrible to sit there, being paid well, and doing minimal to no work. You know what’s worse? Sitting there working your ass off and being paid minimally for your efforts. I know which one I’d prefer. Edit: > [@](#): > > Plus what are you going to tell an interviewer when they ask what you’ve been doing in your current job? I worked for the government doing things I’m not allowed to talk about. Makes you sound like a ninja… if ninjas made sound, of course. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728/42 "2011-08-03T12:35:50Z")
> [@Profound\_Gibberish](#): > > From experience, I can say that there is no more of a demoralizing, existential threat to self that to be greatly underemployed. It is just horrible to sit there, being paid well, and doing minimal to no work. It took a long time to wrap my brain around it and come up with coping skills to manage the boredom. In the end, I determined that I should be thankful for \*a job \*when so many do not have one, and to look around for other challenges or taskforces in the workplace that I can participate in. Good luck, hang in there, keep you ear to the ground, network, and when an opprotunity presents itself, jump on it. I had a job like this once. I was immediately reprimanded when I tried to create challenges/taskforces. I was reprimanded whenever I asked if I could do anything for anybody, learn something new, etc. I ended up walking away during a lunch hour. Never looked back. Later I learned that my particular function was “window dressing”, so to speak. I wasn’t supposed to have any particular function except sit there and make my immediate boss “look important”. BTW, this was my very last office job. After I walked off I swore to myself to never, ever take another office job again. At least in retail you’ve got the crazy cast of customers 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728/43 "2011-08-03T13:03:48Z")
> [@Miss\_Gnomer](#): > > Well I have talked myself out of my job. Speaking with my manager who had no work for me I had to say to her that it was her obligation to employ suitable people for the job and that there was work available to them. It didn’t matter that we liked each other or thought we could work together … if there is nothing to do … then I shouldn’t be there. > > _sniff_ bye bye the best paid job I’ll probably ever have! Would they find somebody else to not do your job if you quit? If so, I don’t see what purpose you serve by resigning. ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728/44 "2011-08-03T13:22:34Z")
> [@Miss\_Gnomer](#): > > Well I have talked myself out of my job. Speaking with my manager who had no work for me I had to say to her that it was her obligation to employ suitable people for the job and that there was work available to them. It didn’t matter that we liked each other or thought we could work together … if there is nothing to do … then I shouldn’t be there. > > _sniff_ bye bye the best paid job I’ll probably ever have! Where’s your location? I need a job! lol! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-an-ethical-obligation-to-resign-from-my-government-job/588728.md?page=2)