Job dilemma

[nidena]

You may have seen my other post--What impact...on your community...?--and my first comment that I don't love my job.  I don't.  I'm really good at it but I don't love it.  I like it because I'm good at it but I could happily not do it any more.

I recently came across a thing that has me questioning the character of my boss.  I haven't talked to him about the situation, yet, because I'm still processing things.  It all happened this week.  This article shows the flyer for an event that was going to happen but got cancelled.  The thing is, my boss is friends/colleagues/peer/mentor/does business with many on the flyer so it makes me believe his thinking is similar to theirs which is opposite of mine.

So, it's my own moral dilemma that I'm dealing with.  Do I continue to work for someone who is (potentially) so conservative that they value many things that are not in line with what I value?  Do I continue to work with someone who pays me with money he's received from doing business with these kinds of folks?  

On a reddit thread, there was much discussion about if we only knew what the big business gives their money to, we'd never buy anything from anyone, but this puts it very much 1° of separation vs 6°.

I'm trying to think my way through this but I keep going in mental circles.

[mamasita99]

Knowing my work supported something like that would make me leery, too. First off, do you have somewhere else you can work? Personally, I think I would start looking for other places of employment. But I know it’s not always that simple.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 11:31:16 GMT -5 mamasita99 said:

Knowing my work supported something like that would make me leery, too. First off, do you have somewhere else you can work? Personally, I think I would start looking for other places of employment. But I know it’s not always that simple.

I have an income from military retirement and disability.  This job just increases my take-home.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

It would depend on what it is.   I'm never going to find a place where everyone agrees with me and shares my views.   I worked for a Catholic University so my viewpoint on the A word was in complete contradiction to everything my employer believed.

However as long as I didn't bring it up every 5 minutes on the clock or stage protests on campus it was fine.  

At the end of the day my job is so I get paid and have health insurance.  My personal views on subjects and theirs are not of concern while I am on the clock so long as it does not impact my ability to do my job or does not result in retaliation or isn't leading to discrimination.   There are things that would lead me to say "Nope!" but that flyer isn't automatically one of them.

For what is in the flyer that would depend.  I am finding so many people are completely uneducated and uninformed on the subject they are listening to talking heads.  I can't base my judgement on that person just solely on the fact they are "against" it I need to dig deeper.  If it's ignorance on the topic that's one thing.  If they are racist assholes that quite another.

My question would be do you see any of that impacting the workplace?   Now that you are aware are there situations that made you go "Huh that's not cool/right" towards POC at your workplace?  Jokes around the water cooler? Stuff like that?

If it didn't appear to be affecting the workplace any I would not concern myself too much with it.  But then I have to work and don't have the luxury of always picking an employer that aligns with me.  As the reddit people pointed out no one would ever have a job or buy anything if we knew everything going on behind the curtain.   That doesn't make it okay but in our capitalistic society, especially with health insurance being attached to employment , sometimes I have to compromise.   The mortgage company isn't going to take my righteous outrage as payment.

Certainly does not hurt to start looking and seeing what else is out there though.  That is absolutely always an option.

[flamingo]

Yes, i would absolutely question my ability to work for someone who likely supports that. That doesn't mean that I could jump ship right away - I need a job and the income and health insurance it provides. But especially if I was already thinking about leaving, this would light a fire under me to make it happen sooner.

[bean29]

Is you boss a decent person otherwise, or an all around ah0le?

Personally, I am concerned that they want to ban discussion of certain topics entirely.  It seems to me that they are trying to whitewash and cover up anything bad that white people might have done so that they are no longer accountable for it.

I am not sure that whether or not you work for your current employer will have any effect on the future of Republican Autocracy.

I would keep working at my current job while I was looking for another job...unless I felt working there one more minute was just that unbearable.

No one really cares about other people that much, unless maybe you work for some sort of CBO.

[nidena]

NomoreDramaQ1015 , that's part of it, too.  I'm used to far more diversity in the workplace than what I have now.  I can count on one hand (maybe both) the number of people that AREN'T white where I work.  

It doesn't really impact the workplace because the few POC that do work where I do are code-switching experts.

I've had mental dilemmas with this job from the get.  We have very wealthy clients and I often wonder if they try to help those that are worse off, to an extent that is more than just tax-beneficial.

There's nothing *blatantly* wrong happening in my workplace.  I just don't want to be someone who becomes less and less concerned with what is happening in the communities that need the most help.

I would also feel bad if I left anyone in a lurch.  Ugh.

ETA: This week is ten months that I've been at the job.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 21, 2021 11:50:48 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

It would depend on what it is.   I'm never going to find a place where everyone agrees with me and shares my views.   I worked for a Catholic University so my viewpoint on the A word was in complete contradiction to everything my employer believed.

However as long as I didn't bring it up every 5 minutes on the clock or stage protests on campus it was fine.  

At the end of the day my job is so I get paid and have health insurance.  My personal views on subjects and theirs are not of concern while I am on the clock so long as it does not impact my ability to do my job or does not result in retaliation or isn't leading to discrimination.   There are things that would lead me to say "Nope!" but that flyer isn't automatically one of them.

For what is in the flyer that would depend.  I am finding so many people are completely uneducated and uninformed on the subject they are listening to talking heads.  I can't base my judgement on that person just solely on the fact they are "against" it I need to dig deeper.  If it's ignorance on the topic that's one thing.  If they are racist assholes that quite another.

My question would be do you see any of that impacting the workplace?   Now that you are aware are there situations that made you go "Huh that's not cool/right" towards POC at your workplace?  Jokes around the water cooler? Stuff like that?

If it didn't appear to be affecting the workplace any I would not concern myself too much with it.  But then I have to work and don't have the luxury of always picking an employer that aligns with me.  As the reddit people pointed out no one would ever have a job or buy anything if we knew everything going on behind the curtain.   That doesn't make it okay but in our capitalistic society, especially with health insurance being attached to employment , sometimes I have to compromise.   The mortgage company isn't going to take my righteous outrage as payment.

Certainly does not hurt to start looking and seeing what else is out there though.  That is absolutely always an option.

There are going to be people who have different ideas wrt politics, but I really don't see how it impacts my job.  However, there was a situation early in my career where there were some ethical issues going on that I just could not stomach.  I was low man on the totem pole at the time, so me making noise about it would only have come back and bitten me in the butt - and possibly blacklisted me for life.  I got the hell out of dodge.

You need to decide for yourself what you can and cannot tolerate, and make peace with it.  JMHO.  I know my line in the sand - but it's not the same for everyone. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 21, 2021 12:08:56 GMT -5 nidena said:

NomoreDramaQ1015 , that's part of it, too.  I'm used to far more diversity in the workplace than what I have now.  I can count on one hand (maybe both) the number of people that AREN'T white where I work.  

It doesn't really impact the workplace because the few POC that do work where I do are code-switching experts.

I've had mental dilemmas with this job from the get.  We have very wealthy clients and I often wonder if they try to help those that are worse off, to an extent that is more than just tax-beneficial.

There's nothing *blatantly* wrong happening in my workplace.  I just don't want to be someone who becomes less and less concerned with what is happening in the communities that need the most help.

I would also feel bad if I left anyone in a lurch.  Ugh.

ETA: This week is ten months that I've been at the job.

This isn't a fair comparison.  You were in the military where you have a more diverse population.  Now you are working at a civilian facility in a lily white area of the US.  You need to consider your local population demographics before you start comparing apples and oranges.

I moved from a university sitting, where I dealt with all nationalities to an area of the US where 99% of the population is white.  If 99% of the whole population is white, 99% of the workers are going to be white.  

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jul 21, 2021 12:13:02 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 21, 2021 11:50:48 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

It would depend on what it is.   I'm never going to find a place where everyone agrees with me and shares my views.   I worked for a Catholic University so my viewpoint on the A word was in complete contradiction to everything my employer believed.

However as long as I didn't bring it up every 5 minutes on the clock or stage protests on campus it was fine.  

At the end of the day my job is so I get paid and have health insurance.  My personal views on subjects and theirs are not of concern while I am on the clock so long as it does not impact my ability to do my job or does not result in retaliation or isn't leading to discrimination.   There are things that would lead me to say "Nope!" but that flyer isn't automatically one of them.

For what is in the flyer that would depend.  I am finding so many people are completely uneducated and uninformed on the subject they are listening to talking heads.  I can't base my judgement on that person just solely on the fact they are "against" it I need to dig deeper.  If it's ignorance on the topic that's one thing.  If they are racist assholes that quite another.

My question would be do you see any of that impacting the workplace?   Now that you are aware are there situations that made you go "Huh that's not cool/right" towards POC at your workplace?  Jokes around the water cooler? Stuff like that?

If it didn't appear to be affecting the workplace any I would not concern myself too much with it.  But then I have to work and don't have the luxury of always picking an employer that aligns with me.  As the reddit people pointed out no one would ever have a job or buy anything if we knew everything going on behind the curtain.   That doesn't make it okay but in our capitalistic society, especially with health insurance being attached to employment , sometimes I have to compromise.   The mortgage company isn't going to take my righteous outrage as payment.

Certainly does not hurt to start looking and seeing what else is out there though.  That is absolutely always an option.

There are going to be people who have different ideas wrt politics, but I really don't see how it impacts my job.  However, there was a situation early in my career where there were some ethical issues going on that I just could not stomach.  I was low man on the totem pole at the time, so me making noise about it would only have come back and bitten me in the butt - and possibly blacklisted me for life.  I got the hell out of dodge.

You need to decide for yourself what you can and cannot tolerate, and make peace with it.  JMHO.  I know my line in the sand - but it's not the same for everyone. 

Same.  And I paid quite the price for it but if I hadn't spoken up and word got out in the rather small research community I would have been screwed either way.

I went from a very diverse university to white bread Midwestern land company.   I don't have a whole lot of options for my career choice around here and at the end of the day there is no getting around I live in the midwest so most companies here aren't going to be very diverse..  I miss the university but I had to make the decision to leave due to pay/constant job hopping.   My morals and desires about diversity had to take a back seat to my financial obligations.

In that same breath though the head of the department I worked for at the university was a racist sexist asshole.  He gets away with it because he brings in multi-million dollar grants on a regular basis and has for decades.  So even the diverse, accepting, liberal university I worked for was making deals with the Devil.   I'm never going to find an employer who fully aligns with my worldview.  Not unless I want to start my own non-profit or something and only hire people who 100% agree with me.

There are numerous things I can do outside my job to contribute to and address issues that I care about.   My car loan isn't going to take that as a payment though.   So long as my company does not retaliate against me for what I do off the clock to contribute to issues they may disagree with me on I keep my mouth shut here.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 12:16:50 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:08:56 GMT -5 nidena said:

NomoreDramaQ1015 , that's part of it, too.  I'm used to far more diversity in the workplace than what I have now.  I can count on one hand (maybe both) the number of people that AREN'T white where I work.  

It doesn't really impact the workplace because the few POC that do work where I do are code-switching experts.

I've had mental dilemmas with this job from the get.  We have very wealthy clients and I often wonder if they try to help those that are worse off, to an extent that is more than just tax-beneficial.

There's nothing *blatantly* wrong happening in my workplace.  I just don't want to be someone who becomes less and less concerned with what is happening in the communities that need the most help.

I would also feel bad if I left anyone in a lurch.  Ugh.

ETA: This week is ten months that I've been at the job.

This isn't a fair comparison.  You were in the military where you have a more diverse population.  Now you are working at a civilian facility in a lily white area of the US.  You need to consider your local population demographics before you start comparing apples and oranges.

I moved from a university sitting, where I dealt with all nationalities to an area of the US where 99% of the population is white.  If 99% of the whole population is white, 99% of the workers are going to be white.  

I wasn't actually comparing it to my military career.  I was comparing it to living in Delaware for 14 years.  And Indianapolis is more diverse than Indiana, as a whole, but this industry appears not to be.

[haapai]

I think that you are being smart by discussing this here even if you find yourself going in circles.  I would suggest that you do not discuss this situation with your boss, or your coworkers, or anyone else in Hamilton County. 

(Ugh!  Hamilton County!  Some of my ancestors left that place quickly about 100 years ago because of the politics.  Specifically, because of the racial politics.  Apparently, things haven't changed much. ) 

Ordinarily, when your boss gets involved in politics in such a public way, you have to worry about the effect on business and your boss' level of business sense as well as how offensive you find the politics.  What your coworkers are going through is probably much more intense than what you are facing. 

[Lizard Queen]

So, if you don't really need a job, and these people aren't completely lost, I would start bringing up things that bother you in a calm, logical way. These people probably live in an echo chamber, and it helps to have other perspectives brought up. Also, if you're in the majority group, you're the one that needs to speak up to help the minority group. I don't know if I stated that well, but a thing I learned in my DEI class.

Me, I work in Devos-land, but I need to keep this job and I don't feel like I can discuss things calmly, so I just keep my mouth zipped. The people I work with aren't all bad, though, even the lilly whites with their heads up Republican asses. If I could speak my peace more calmly, I could probably make a bit of a difference. So, if you think you can, try! What do you have to lose?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 21, 2021 12:25:02 GMT -5 nidena said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:16:50 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

This isn't a fair comparison.  You were in the military where you have a more diverse population.  Now you are working at a civilian facility in a lily white area of the US.  You need to consider your local population demographics before you start comparing apples and oranges.

I moved from a university sitting, where I dealt with all nationalities to an area of the US where 99% of the population is white.  If 99% of the whole population is white, 99% of the workers are going to be white.  

I wasn't actually comparing it to my military career.  I was comparing it to living in Delaware for 14 years.  And Indianapolis is more diverse than Indiana, as a whole, but this industry appears not to be.

Demographics of Indiana are 90% white.  Indianapolis is 84.8% white.  Delaware is 68.7% white.  As a comparison, the US population as a whole is 88% white.  Then you factor in the percent of the demographics of the profession.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 12:43:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:25:02 GMT -5 nidena said:

I wasn't actually comparing it to my military career.  I was comparing it to living in Delaware for 14 years.  And Indianapolis is more diverse than Indiana, as a whole, but this industry appears not to be.

Demographics of Indiana are 90% white.  Indianapolis is 84.8% white.  Delaware is 68.7% white.  As a comparison, the US population as a whole is 88% white.  Then you factor in the percent of the demographics of the profession.

By the stats I found, Marion County--what I consider to be Indy--is just under 60% white.  Using the same site, DE is 63% white.  Not gonna split hairs though because IN is definitely LESS diverse than DE, overall.
I think that's why I moved to a part of town that isn't so white.  I wanted the continued diversity.
Now, I just have to decide if I want the same where I work.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 12:41:16 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

So, if you don't really need a job, and these people aren't completely lost, I would start bringing up things that bother you in a calm, logical way. These people probably live in an echo chamber, and it helps to have other perspectives brought up. Also, if you're in the majority group, you're the one that needs to speak up to help the minority group. I don't know if I stated that well, but a thing I learned in my DEI class.

Me, I work in Devos-land, but I need to keep this job and I don't feel like I can discuss things calmly, so I just keep my mouth zipped. The people I work with aren't all bad, though, even the lilly whites with their heads up Republican asses. If I could speak my peace more calmly, I could probably make a bit of a difference. So, if you think you can, try! What do you have to lose?

My workplace is an interesting dynamic.  It's a bunch of subcontractor-like people who lease space from the guy that owns the company.  They, in turn, sell the products of this company but they also provide their own services.  So, my boss has only the one employee: me.  I work for two sub-contractor kinds of people and the second guy pays the first for the use of my skills as an assistant.  But there's an overarching "support services" section that is available to everyone.  Like, there's an HR person to whom I brought up the situation about one of the other male subcontractors commenting about my boobs.

I've brought up the topic of "So how do we find the not-typical applicant for these jobs?  How do we seek out those who don't look like us?" and got crickets.

************************

I moved here to be nearer to family.  I hadn't lived within a day's drive of family since 2002.  I needed that to change.  The area is beautiful.  I live two miles from a state park and three miles from my gym.

I'm just need to decide if I'm going to suck up working where I do or move on.  It definitely won't do me any good to stay in the industry so I'd be taking a pay cut of 50-100% of the extra, depending upon if I got another job or not.

[imawino]

Jul 21, 2021 11:16:07 GMT -5 nidena said:

You may have seen my other post--What impact...on your community...?--and my first comment that I don't love my job.  I don't.  I'm really good at it but I don't love it.  I like it because I'm good at it but I could happily not do it any more.

I recently came across a thing that has me questioning the character of my boss.  I haven't talked to him about the situation, yet, because I'm still processing things.  It all happened this week.  This article shows the flyer for an event that was going to happen but got cancelled.  The thing is, my boss is friends/colleagues/peer/mentor/does business with many on the flyer so it makes me believe his thinking is similar to theirs which is opposite of mine.

So, it's my own moral dilemma that I'm dealing with.  Do I continue to work for someone who is (potentially) so conservative that they value many things that are not in line with what I value?  Do I continue to work with someone who pays me with money he's received from doing business with these kinds of folks?  

On a reddit thread, there was much discussion about if we only knew what the big business gives their money to, we'd never buy anything from anyone, but this puts it very much 1° of separation vs 6°.

I'm trying to think my way through this but I keep going in mental circles.

First off, good for you for getting yourself in a position that you really don't have to work, and for being a person who cares about the kind of company you work for.   

While I wouldn't make any super-rash decisions I think that if you don't love your job, don't respect or support the values of the company (or they are offensive to you) and you have the luxury of not needing the money, then leaving is a perfectly good decision.  If you've put in the effort to be in a position that working is a choice, then make the choice to work at something that makes you happy.  

[imawino]

Jul 21, 2021 12:43:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:25:02 GMT -5 nidena said:

I wasn't actually comparing it to my military career.  I was comparing it to living in Delaware for 14 years.  And Indianapolis is more diverse than Indiana, as a whole, but this industry appears not to be.

Demographics of Indiana are 90% white.  Indianapolis is 84.8% white.  Delaware is 68.7% white.  As a comparison, the US population as a whole is 88% white.  Then you factor in the percent of the demographics of the profession.

That doesn't sound right at all.  Only 12% of the US population as non-white?  

that obviously counts every hispanic and asian person as simply white, and possibly every mixed-race black person.  So, really a lot of brownish and spanish speaking white people.  I think if you're taking diversity in the workplace, 88% white is not an accurate representation of the US as a whole.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 13:04:30 GMT -5 imawino said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:43:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Demographics of Indiana are 90% white.  Indianapolis is 84.8% white.  Delaware is 68.7% white.  As a comparison, the US population as a whole is 88% white.  Then you factor in the percent of the demographics of the profession.

That doesn't sound right at all.  Only 12% of the US population as non-white?  

that obviously counts every hispanic and asian person as simply white, and possibly every mixed-race black person.  So, really a lot of brownish and spanish speaking white people.  I think if you're taking diversity in the workplace, 88% white is not an accurate representation of the US as a whole.

The site I go to shows white-alone, non-Hispanic at 62%.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 21, 2021 13:04:30 GMT -5 imawino said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:43:27 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Demographics of Indiana are 90% white.  Indianapolis is 84.8% white.  Delaware is 68.7% white.  As a comparison, the US population as a whole is 88% white.  Then you factor in the percent of the demographics of the profession.

That doesn't sound right at all.  Only 12% of the US population as non-white?  

that obviously counts every hispanic and asian person as simply white, and possibly every mixed-race black person.  So, really a lot of brownish and spanish speaking white people.  I think if you're taking diversity in the workplace, 88% white is not an accurate representation of the US as a whole.

Sorry, 12% Black.  I just subtracted it from the total population.  Another site has it at 13%.  


www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

The Midwest in general is mayo land and also highly conservative.  Even at the university where there was quite a lot of diversity in the labs it was largely white people if you paid close enough attention elsewhere.

Sure the white people might be from a different country but they were still white.

That's probably not an insignificant part of why young people are leaving in droves and why they can't attract anyone to move here for jobs.   If you're going to live in the Midwest you have to live with the knowledge diversity is not a super high priority for a lot of companies.

I'd have to uproot my family's entire life and would likely still end up in a place that is predominately white and white men in particular because unfortunately that is the society we live in.  You have the luxury of not having to work so can focus more on those things and can certainly take advantage of that luxury if you so choose.

Those of who must work to pay the bills have to compromise and work within the system as much as we are comfortable doing so.

[haapai]

Jul 21, 2021 13:00:48 GMT -5 nidena said:

Jul 21, 2021 12:41:16 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

So, if you don't really need a job, and these people aren't completely lost, I would start bringing up things that bother you in a calm, logical way. These people probably live in an echo chamber, and it helps to have other perspectives brought up. Also, if you're in the majority group, you're the one that needs to speak up to help the minority group. I don't know if I stated that well, but a thing I learned in my DEI class.

Me, I work in Devos-land, but I need to keep this job and I don't feel like I can discuss things calmly, so I just keep my mouth zipped. The people I work with aren't all bad, though, even the lilly whites with their heads up Republican asses. If I could speak my peace more calmly, I could probably make a bit of a difference. So, if you think you can, try! What do you have to lose?

My workplace is an interesting dynamic.  It's a bunch of subcontractor-like people who lease space from the guy that owns the company.  They, in turn, sell the products of this company but they also provide their own services.  So, my boss has only the one employee: me.  I work for two sub-contractor kinds of people and the second guy pays the first for the use of my skills as an assistant.  But there's an overarching "support services" section that is available to everyone.  Like, there's an HR person to whom I brought up the situation about one of the other male subcontractors commenting about my boobs.

I've brought up the topic of "So how do we find the not-typical applicant for these jobs?  How do we seek out those who don't look like us?" and got crickets.

************************

I moved here to be nearer to family.  I hadn't lived within a day's drive of family since 2002.  I needed that to change.  The area is beautiful.  I live two miles from a state park and three miles from my gym.

I'm just need to decide if I'm going to suck up working where I do or move on.  It definitely won't do me any good to stay in the industry so I'd be taking a pay cut of 50-100% of the extra, depending upon if I got another job or not.

Probably TMI.  You haven't named your employer but you sure have identified him and yourself.  I'd consider deleting it.  It can probably be found by one of those outfits that manages brands' reputations. 

I'll definitely omit what I have quoted if asked. 

[imawino]

Jul 21, 2021 13:16:34 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 21, 2021 13:04:30 GMT -5 imawino said:

That doesn't sound right at all.  Only 12% of the US population as non-white?  

that obviously counts every hispanic and asian person as simply white, and possibly every mixed-race black person.  So, really a lot of brownish and spanish speaking white people.  I think if you're taking diversity in the workplace, 88% white is not an accurate representation of the US as a whole.

Sorry, 12% Black.  I just subtracted it from the total population.  Another site has it at 13%.  


www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219

In that case, Indianapolis breaks out less white than the US.  First # is indy, Second is US:  



Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone, percent 60.9%   76.3%

Black or African American alone, percent(a) 28.6%   13.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) 0.3%   1.3%

Asian alone, percent(a) 3.4%   5.9%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a) 0.0%   0.2%

Two or More Races, percent 3.3%   2.8%

Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) 10.5%   18.5%

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent 54.5%   60.1%

Population Characteristics

[imawino]

Jul 21, 2021 13:23:20 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

The Midwest in general is mayo land and also highly conservative.  Even at the university where there was quite a lot of diversity in the labs it was largely white people if you paid close enough attention elsewhere.

Sure the white people might be from a different country but they were still white.

That's probably not an insignificant part of why young people are leaving in droves and why they can't attract anyone to move here for jobs.   If you're going to live in the Midwest you have to live with the knowledge diversity is not a super high priority for a lot of companies.

I'd have to uproot my family's entire life and would likely still end up in a place that is predominately white and white men in particular because unfortunately that is the society we live in.  You have the luxury of not having to work so can focus more on those things and can certainly take advantage of that luxury if you so choose.

Those of who must work to pay the bills have to compromise and work within the system as much as we are comfortable doing so.

Agree with that.  That's why I think it's great if people who aren't forced into compromises for money that make them mildly uncomfortable take the opportunity to stand up for their beliefs and opt for something different.  

[haapai]

I'm embarrassed to ask this but I have to since I don't know the answer.  Does your military pension and disability come with lifetime health insurance? 

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 14:06:26 GMT -5 haapai said:

I'm embarrassed to ask this but I have to since I don't know the answer.  Does your military pension and disability come with lifetime health insurance? 

It doesn't come with it but I'm able to get Tricare and have every year.  It also covers eye exams every two years.  My dental coverage is separate.  All are inexpensive with low copays.  And there's always the option of going to the VA hospital.

ETA: my employer doesn't pay for any of them.

[vonna]

So, just wondering . . . are you looking for an excuse to no longer work?

I, too, am work optional due to military pension, and I only dabbled in work again, but found since I didn't have to put up with bullsh**, I just wasn't willing to!

Now, if I could just learn the same with volunteer work -- I do sometimes put up with too much nonsense there. . . 

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 14:52:38 GMT -5 vonna said:

So, just wondering . . . are you looking for an excuse to no longer work?

I, too, am work optional due to military pension, and I only dabbled in work again, but found since I didn't have to put up with bullsh**, I just wasn't willing to!

Now, if I could just learn the same with volunteer work -- I do sometimes put up with too much nonsense there. . . 

No, not looking to no longer work.  

I would just prefer to do something that I love rather than something that I like merely because I do it well.

[Tennesseer]

Nidena- you state your primary income is military retirement and disability and your current job is to increase take home money.

How much would your life change if you left this job and could not find another job making roughly the same money?  

What is the unemployment rate in your area?  Are there comparable jobs with like income where you could probably get hired?  Or are jobs scarce.

I wouldn't jump ship yet at this point until you know what's out there in your area where you could be employed in the future.

You would definitely have to research possible future employers to ensure you would not end up in the same place you find yourself today.

Sonetime we have to do what we need to do to stay afloat.

[nidena]

Jul 21, 2021 17:02:46 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Nidena- you state your primary income is military retirement and disability and your current job is to increase take home money.

How much would your life change if you left this job and could not find another job making roughly the same money?  

What is the unemployment rate in your area?  Are there comparable jobs with like income where you could probably get hired?  Or are jobs scarce.

I wouldn't jump ship yet at this point until you know what's out there in your area where you could be employed in the future.

You would definitely have to research possible future employers to ensure you would not end up in the same place you find yourself today.

Sonetime we have to do what we need to do to stay afloat.

This job helped me pay off my student loans and a credit card.  The part that would change the most, now, would be the amount I save but, in reality, that would be the same as it has been because my money has gone towards the debt I had. 

ETA: Unemployment is just under 6%.  Finding a job wouldn't be difficult but it would absolutely be necessary to do better research for the next one.  This was my first full-time position since exiting the military in 2016.  The ones before that were PT retail.  I could easily find something in that arena again, what with everyone desperate for help in the retail world.