Comments on: Can you be happy in an evil business?

By: Nancy from Nebraska

Nancy from Nebraska — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:54:19 +0000

I realize this is an old post, but I had to comment, especially on the last post by Sean. I too have worked in IT for a debt collection company and have found it very difficult to be ‘happy’ working for this company. It is a rather small company and I am used to working for large companies. In the beginning I sat in a cubicle within the area of the “bad debt” collectors and it was horrible. I hated hearing the phone conversations and they left me feeling depressed. There are a lot of debt collection companies out there, but what we specialize in is medical debt collections. Being a person with some pretty large medical debts (but have them on payment plan), I found it very difficult to listen to the phone calls. I totally sympathize with the millions of people out there who are under-insured or have no insurance at all, but need the medical care at one point in their life. With the upcoming presidential election, I hope some major changes are made to our current health insurance crisis in this country. We cannot continue this way. We are all just one accident or illness away from it ruining our life as we know it. In my case I tripped going down the stairs and ended up falling down the stairs. I have had 4 knee surgeries now and if I didnt have insurance, would owe easily over $100k, but with insurance I only owe around $10k. Nice that they cut me a break right? Well, just facing the $10k is overwhelming. And I also did not have disability insurance to cover my income while I was off work since I work for such a small company, it really wasnt offered. Luckily (?) I was able to work from home and get some hours in once I was out of the hospital to bring in some money. Otherwise we would have totally been screwed.

Ok, sorry I got on a soap box about insurance. So, here I am still in this job and I just had my 4th knee surgery which was total knee replacement. 2 days after getting out of the hospital I am working from home in order to bring in some income, even though I am totally not feeling up to it physically. The pain and the meds have me a bit loopy. At least my employer allows me to work from home, that is one nice thing they allow me to do. Otherwise, when I’m in the office I work in a tiny, tiny hole in the wall office and have very limited space to work on computers and other equipment. I do make a pretty good income there and that is what keeps me there. I do not feel appreciated in the slightest. I realize I need to somehow motivate myself to do my job since no one else is motivating me. Some days I come home just totally discouraged with my job and wanting to quit. Of course my husband says I have to stay until I find another job because we need the money. I hate having to stay at a job because we have to pay our bills. I hate it, I hate it with a passion. I would love to have our debt paid off and savings built up so I was not tied down to a place of employment. But with the money I make I at least hope I can find another job that will pay about the same, but have way better insurance and benefits to offer.

Anyway, I have been reading the posts and articles on this website and have truly enjoyed them. I have a lot to learn about changing jobs and being okay with it as I tend to stay in a job far longer than the happiness lasts. I think I am way too loyal to employers, I’m not sure why. I often get to the point of job burnout that affects every part of my life and I end up enjoying nothing in my life. I’ve been at this job 3 years now and I know it is time to move on. But when I get to the point of burnout and doing sloppy work because I procrastinate horribly (maybe because of lack of motivation), I tend to have low self-esteem and think no other company will want me. Once I am back on my feet I hope to get started on finding another job.

Well, thanks for this website and the very valuable information you provide!!! :~)

By: poisonous plants

poisonous plants — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:06:04 +0000

[...] lots of poison, young chickens being thrown around, pigs transported in small boxes etc. etc….http://positivesharing.com/2007/08/can-you-be-happy-in-an-evil-business/Index of Poisionous PlantsDirectory of toxic plants and herbs and their [...]

By: Stephanie Sammour

Stephanie Sammour — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:32:17 +0000

That was so brutal and graphic I could not last 5 seconds. Its just really sad to think how high the percentage of people who work there only because they need the paycheck.

By: Sean Gilbertson

Sean Gilbertson — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:27:52 +0000

I once worked as a Software Engineer at a debt collection firm. I sat in an office near a collection floor, and one memory I have is of a collector threatening someone who had just been through a hurricane.

No matter what I did to try and be happy at that office, nothing worked. I used every rationalization, religion, whatever, and nothing made it so that I could be happy while I worked there.

If you don’t like your office, find a different job! You will be so much happier. You don’t owe anyone at your terrible office anything.

When I left, I sent an email to several people, including the Ceo, detailing how our (IT’s) boss was dysfunctional, and, talking to the head of HR later, I understand they talked to him, and things were different — for a few months, at least. So, you can actually make things better by leaving, even if all you do is leave: You’ll be saying, “I no longer support this.” Take your endless talent somewhere where it’ll be put to good use, and where you will be treated better, and be happier.

Conditions matter. You can’t sit in a pile of crap and expect to be happy. :-)

By: Alexander

Alexander — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:59:53 +0000

Thanks for all the great comments and input. There are some great questions here, that I will be returning to soon.

Meanwhile, I posted three of the comments in a blogpost, just because they’re such great examples of making yourself happy at work by saying no to bad companies:
http://positivesharing.com/2007/09/just-say-no-to-that-evil-company/

By: Just say no - to that evil company

Just say no - to that evil company — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:58:28 +0000

[...] Can you be happy in an evil business? [...]

By: Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:31:52 +0000

Hey
Best post of yours I’ve read to date. My partner once spent two weeks doing temping admin work at a turkey farm. She described the people who worked there as, basically, damaged.

One incident that’s stuck in my mind was an interview I had 24 years ago for a financial consultancy. The interviewer talked about money, about wealth, about owning yachts. Then he began to talk about the losers, the [sorry, but I'm quoting] c**** who didn’t recognise money and its importance, that in five years you could walk away, that you could have other people doing the work for you. That the world had two kind of people – people like him and the “stupid c****” who didn’t understand. He went on and on. It was like talking to low-end devil. Finally, he let me get a word in. “Sorry,” I said. “I’m afraid I’m one of the c****.” And I walked out. One of the more terrifying experiences of my life.

By: Scott M

Scott M — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:19:40 +0000

I was offered a very high paying job (4x salary increase) to work for an oil company in Alaska. When I told the person making the offer that I could not work for the oil industry (she was a headhunter) she acted like I was such an idiot…as if no one these days does that.

I still need to sleep tonight and anyone who appreciates the life this planet sustains needs to work for their conscience.

Scott

By: mage ringlerun

mage ringlerun — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:18:06 +0000

aren’t we all in some way related to everything that happens… our degrees that vary…

just being part of the systems makes us responsible in some way, surely…
one might not work for a company that makes weapons… but they still might be part of a society that in its “unity” has attacked iraq and killed over 600,000 innocent iraqies… aren’t most of us responsible by simply going to the supermarket and buying stuff, knowing that the supermarket is part of a chain that exploits third world workers!!!

i think action must go hand in hand with happiness and peace… i am happy knowing i’m trying to make a difference in a positive way… even if i were an american soldier in iraq i could be happy… because i would focus on ensuring that people feel safe (especially iraqies) (i do believe the current focus is on oil, debt and killing – but one’s personal motivation so being different in that culture would be very very hard, but also very very rewarding).

so, as i work, i ask myself… what have i done today to help make the world a better place… my personal values might differ from the values work tries to enforce… but hey, we battle at times, and when push comes to shove, my anchor is not work, and if they sack me… well, so be it… they might have decided that what i bring in skills is not as great as the conflict that i bring with my values at times…

I am hardly Jesus, but he did dine with the tax collectors… not so that he could collect tax, but those are the people that needed redemption! can i at least try to mimic that at work? normally i find that the people are fine, but the system is broke!!!

i encourage you to read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Disobedience_(Thoreau)

By: phastphill

phastphill — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:11:19 +0000

This is the best post I’ve seen here in some time. I often think that only desperation can lead someone to work at a place like a slaughterhouse.