# Employed by someone you totally disagree with (Morally, politically) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864 "2014-02-21T13:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/21 "2014-02-21T18:57:02Z")
I was in the Army through the majority of the Bush administration. I agreed to exchange X amount of work for Y dollars + Z benefits. In my opinion, that’s all that is relevant. Personal beliefs on either side shouldn’t enter into it. If you’re working for Hitler and your CPA job got converted to “Death Squad Captain”, the conclusion might be different, but as long as the pay is fair, your job is enjoyable and the company as a whole isn’t engaged in unethical behavior, I think I’d keep my job. (The Army thing is different because I had a contract. In my opinion the “company as a whole” _was_ engaged in unethical behavior. But they didn’t ask me in particular to do anything unethical, and until they did I was going to finish out my contract with no intention of reenlisting. Which I did.) ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/22 "2014-02-21T19:21:37Z")
I would agree with those who say you should just stay put. As long as you’re not being asked to do anything unethical or to lend your personal support to causes with which you disagree, and the company itself is not engaging in unethical practices, I see very little reason to quit. If you feel the need to do anything at all, get involved with causes you do support. Donate money, volunteer time, whatever you can manage. If you checked out the political beliefs and contributions of most large company owners and CEO’s, you probably would discover that you couldn’t work anywhere without feeling like you were contributing to causes you oppose. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/23 "2014-02-21T19:50:19Z")
Frankly, based just on what’s in the OP, I think this is a case of taking political differences too seriously. I can understand if a company makes major public contributions or statements or has policies that are political, but if you just happen to disagree with the owner, even strongly, I think that’s something different. Chances are in pretty much any job, your boss or your boss’s boss has differing political opinions. It should only be an issue if those differences impact your job. As I gather, you had no idea the owner had these opinions until they were stated. That means, to me, that the company probably isn’t actively engaged in public statements or donations supporting those ideas. Yeah, they got mentioned at a company gathering, but without knowing what was said or the context, it’s difficult to know just how political it was and, even then, expressing that opinion and using it to set corporate policy is soemthing else. If the owner is mostly just stating what thinks, is mostly hands off, and is donating her own money, I think you should just let it go. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/24 "2014-02-21T20:35:42Z")
Yeah, if you had to do some homework to find all this out, that means the owner’s right-wingyness isn’t all that overt. The owner’s family does have the same right to support whatever causes they feel are worthy, same as you. Plus, as you say, you quitting/leaving would hurt you\* way more than it would hurt the owner. - Lotto winnings notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/25 "2014-02-21T20:44:19Z")
In our interconnected world there is no way to avoid enriching someone somewhere you are in opposition to. So, say you work for Progressive Causes Corp., because they align with your beliefs, and you work very hard to increase the value of the company. What if someone who owns shares of their stock is an evil republican? Now, what if you own a printing company that specializes in anti-Obama bumper stickers. But your paper and glue supplier that you pay millions to is Super Liberal, LTD? Or your second biggest printing contract is for The Advocate magazine? How can anyone possibly put walls up around any of this and survive in today’s world? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/26 "2014-02-21T21:17:12Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Honestly. I think it’s a terrible thing if we start to feel like we can’t associate with those we disagree with because even the association might be construed as support. This ^ > [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > Character is doing the right thing when it’s difficult, not just when it’s easy. True enough, as far as is goes. What, exactly, are you saying is the right thing to do? ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/27 "2014-02-21T22:22:55Z")
I’m with everyone else on this matter. I used to be liberal minded straight out of school and worked in research for a biotech start up making peanuts. Then I went to business school, got into the defense industry after 9/11, and find I am considered ‘right wing’ even though I absolutely and strongly support gay marriage and am not only pro choice, but actually pro abortion, as I believe most of the world’s problems are caused by people who can least afford to properly raise their kids continuing to have them in large numbers. Ergo, I want the stigma of even getting an abortion gone and think they should be free. There are plenty of people who work at my very large defense employer who are staunch Democrats and actively vote in a way that is contrary to their continued job security, but that’s their right, and I support them in whatever they want to do. I hope you would extend that same politically-neutral courtesy to your employer. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/28 "2014-02-21T23:05:19Z")
I don’t think that simply working for people whose beliefs you don’t agree with is necessarily cause to get worked up. However, if your company moves into a line of business you don’t agree with (say… tobacco growing), then you could get worked up. (assuming you took the job before they started this) Or… if they ask you to do things on the job that you don’t agree with on a moral or political level, then that’s cause to get worked up. Otherwise, it’s not much different than simply disagreeing with someone about their political and/or moral beliefs. Unless they impinge on your own, don’t sweat it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/29 "2014-02-21T23:21:28Z")
Heh. My ultimate boss is the governor of Wisconsin. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/30 "2014-02-22T01:43:47Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > I’m interested in hearing from people who have worked for companies that they didn’t personally agree with. I doubt I have ever worked for a company I agreed with morally and politically. But, I am not certain, because management seldom explicitly discussed politics. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/31 "2014-02-22T01:49:51Z")
If its a case of opinions (which political and…to an extent moral…feelings are) then how is your opinion any more valid than theirs? Unless they’re lying/doing something illegal I don’t think you can say that they’re wrong and you’re right ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/32 "2014-02-22T02:43:05Z")
Hypothetical: what if you were gay, or pro-gay rights, and the CEO was a major fundraiser for groups pushing laws like the one just passed in Arizona? That’s about as extreme as I think it can get in this country in a reasonable sense. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/33 "2014-02-22T06:04:47Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > U.S. Army, 25 years. That answer your question? Bawahahaha 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/34 "2014-02-22T06:12:53Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Heh. My ultimate boss is the governor of Wisconsin. Ahhhh, you need to get a medal. Just as funny as Loach. Bawahahaha 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/35 "2014-02-22T08:32:34Z")
Why do you not respect the right for someone to have views different from your own? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/36 "2014-02-22T08:37:21Z")
You don’t have to agree with your employer’s politics to work for them. There’s never going to be anyone you work for, that you agree 100% with. So get over it ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/37 "2014-02-22T11:01:09Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Why do you not respect the right for someone to have views different from your own? It’s hard to say why. But for me, it all started between the time I started hating America and stopped beating my wife. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/38 "2014-02-22T17:36:07Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > I’m the type of guy who avoids Hobby Lobby, Chic Fil A and the Salvation Army due to their political/moral beliefs. I just feel there are other places for my chicken sandwich needs than Chic Fil A. > > I work for a large family owned company and during a speech at a company wide event yesterday, the owner (whom I have never met, she is very hands off) said some political things that I simply don’t agree with. > > Came home and did some research and she is involved with some of the most right wing elements in my state. The family gives lots of money to what I feel are questionable causes. Now if this was a private business, I would not spend my money there. But in this case, she signs my paychecks. > > I love the job and it was difficult to find a job in this economy. I also realize that I am a tiny cog in the machine, yes I contribute to the company success but it’s not like I’m a million dollar salesman. Quitting is not really an option, I get paid pretty well and the benefits are good. > > I’m interested in hearing from people who have worked for companies that they didn’t personally agree with. I’m making money for a family who then turns around and financially supports things I never in a million years would. This situation has probably occurred with previous jobs, but that type of knowledge wasn’t readily available. > > A little knowledge truly is a dangerous thing. Asshole boss, really a running dog for his political candidate, always going on about it in the office, getting red-faced while going on about his boy, and not letting anybody else have a say. Of course, it would be employment suicide to even ask him to shut his gob, or let anybody else have a say. Had a great job, otherwise. I kept it, and liked it. Let me pose an alternate question: Since our patronizing people, say Chik-Fil-A (sp?) is employing them, would you fire the traditional kind of employee because you didn’t agree with his politics? Sexuality? Religion? It all goes down to ‘MYOB’. It is called good advice, because it \*is \*good advice. Work for, buy food from, and get your car repaired by, people with whom you don’t agree. It will be good for you. I make it my business to ignore the personal lives of people for whom I work, because I don’t get paid to make their life decisions. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/39 "2014-02-22T18:10:23Z")
No offense,OP, but you seem to be forgetting that a job is simply an economic transaction. You perform a service and they pay you for that service. If anything conflicts with that, then quitting might be in order. Other than that, who really cares what the owners think? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864/40 "2014-02-22T18:46:05Z")
Look at it this way…you really only have one boss you answer to. Your wife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employed-by-someone-you-totally-disagree-with-morally-politically/681864.md?page=3)