A Theoretical Situation

[tyellas]

Let us say that, hypothetically, you do some freelance work on the side. A pleased client has recommended you to a professional associate who needs some of the same work done. The professional associate is a member of a religious group/quasi-cult you find distasteful and unethical. However, it is likely that you can do this work without meeting the religious-group-member client in person. Working for this client is likely to generate a lot more work with this client.

[Poll #1125363]

Comments

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

I didn't answer the poll because I would need to know just how nasty they are... I mean, if you're really offended by their beliefs, say no. I would...

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

I left the religion in question unnamed because everyone has their own value of "religion they disapprove of."

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

What I meant to say is that however nasty it is to YOU is what would determine your decision. ;)

[tehta.livejournal.com]

Is the work you do going to benefit the group, or just the individual? If the former, I'd decline, if the latter, I'd take and treat as normal.

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

I basically agree with this. It's pretty much impossible not to deal with people whose beliefs one dislikes, but one can probably avoid directly supporting causes/organizations whose ethics are questionable at best.

[shalom]

I'm in line with this too.

(I also thought what a luxury it is to KNOW this about the client and a have a choice.)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

If the work does nothing to advance the distasteful cause, then theoretical-person can treat it like any other work, and not feel obliged to "offset" it by blowing all the cash on indulgences - but might enjoy doing that with some of the cash.

If the work does advance the distasteful cause, don't do it.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

Fortunately it's all in the clouds of "Theoretically..." at the moment, and theoretical, maybe-they'd-be-interested freelance work rarely materializes.

[satismagic.livejournal.com]

It depends on how much you need the money. I've done jobs that I disliked for ethical/moral reasons and I wasn't precisely happy with the arrangement. But in some situations beggars can't be choosers.

If you have the luxury to choose, and you know that this is something that might wake you up at inopportune moments in the small hours of morning in years to come, decline the job, maybe with a small white lie that you're already too busy with other stuff.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

Distasteful is one thing, unethical another. Depends on just how unethical they're being and if said unethical behavior passes your tolerance threshhold. I know drug companies skew data. Of course they just want the product out to make money. But what they do also does help people who might otherwise have no other solution. (Probably why I'm on the side of medicinal marijuana and morphine addiction if it eases the last two months of a guy's life.) So distasteful religion, meh, I find tithing to the church and the very size of St Peters unethical. But if it's one step further, can you help us write documentation on how girls raped even in incestuous circumstances must keep the child or a woman cannot abort even if it physically risks her life because, hey, the kid will live, just that you won't, then I doubt I'd do it. Hm, maybe examples are too specific, but you know what I mean. I qualify that with the recommend someone else because money is money and some people may not have the same success rate at freelancing and honestly need the job to feed the cats and pay electric bill or else the company will cut it off because of three other invoices haven't been paid. I think I'd ask the freelancing friend first if the interest is there at all. But being the over-analyzing type, well, if the religious group is super uber unethical, then even recommending a good writer to them is indirectly supporting them too much.

Probably too much of an answer but sometimes the rambling just goes on and on. And btw, happy belated bday. Sounds like you're not letting the one-third to midlife crisis get you down. Always a good thing.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

Your thoughts are very interesting because a) you answered the same way I did in the poll and b) you have the same career I do.

I qualify that with the recommend someone else because money is money and some people may not have the same success rate at freelancing and honestly need the job to feed the cats and pay electric bill or else the company will cut it off because of three other invoices haven't been paid.

Yeah. For me, I know someone who is a) in a situation like that b) closer to this potential client geographically and b) married and male. Also, I don't want to burn my own bridges with this existing client. So I would decline but recommend this other person.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting. I hadn't even checked who voted for what because I figured I wouldn't know all of them anyway, and I certainly didn't realize you'd voted in your own poll. :p

Glad you'll be able to help out the someone else who really needs it. And yeah, I did think about the existing client too. They might take it the wrong way, but this way they might recommend you to something less distasteful next time.

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

I think this entry captures the gist of my thinking, but more eloquently, so I'll just second.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

*^_^* I'm flattered you find my writing eloquent. Felt a bit rambly to me.

[literalman.livejournal.com]

Are they just distasteful like most Xian fundamentalists, or are they distasteful and personally dangerous to those who cross them, like the Xenu folk.

This is important in case you learn of something which really needs to be publicized about their actions; can you do so without risk to your safety?

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

They're more distasteful that "usual". Imagine if the wierd polyagamy fundamentalist former-Mormons in the Southwest were originally Scottish, and had the intelligence to avoid blatantly illegal personal-rights activities, keeping legal enough (barely) to be left alone. Brrrr!

[msilverstar]

I'd say it depends on the work itself. If the work is in any direct way supporting the group's distasteful and unethical behavior then working on it is likely to support and further that behavior.

If the work itself is for a good purpose (I dunno, writing children's books or something), and the distasteful and unethical stuff is not included, it seems OK to do it.

Between those two points is the gray zone, and I tend to the "decline the job" side because holding your nose to get work is sometimes worse than being broke.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

Solid points!

[teaforme.livejournal.com]

I see being a freelancer as sort of being a mercenary. A job's a job, money's money, their religious beliefs are their problem (unless they try to foist it on other people). If the religious beliefs don't affect you or the work, take it if you want it and think it will be financially beneficial.

On the other hand, not everyone is as mercenary about work as I am, nor as indifferent to religion.

And happy belated birthday!

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

It's not often that big chunky ethical conflicts get laid on my plate regarding work. But I have twice declined to pursue opportunities for work in my field that involved weapons systems, because a) I felt it was Wrong and b) I seriously doubted I'd pass a security check.

[gilraen-surion.livejournal.com]

I'd say decline if they are whom I think you are referring to. (did they sponsor National by any chance?)
Do not get involved with that group. They are not exactly in favour of independent women are they?

I would not touch them with a bargepole

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

Yep! It's them, all right. I'd decline and recommend a cousin of a friend if it came to it. The prospect of spending their money on male prostitutes in Melbourne had a certain allure, though.

[gilraen-surion.livejournal.com]

ROFL. Agreed but only worth it if they knew them otherwise it is kind of too hidden.

[snottygrrl.livejournal.com]

when i asked the question at my office, there was a resonding 'decline the work' (though no opinion about offering other people) because of the possibility of the relationship with the client (or feelings about the client) interfering with the work and causing a less than stellar result.

personally, my gut says decline.

[tyellas.livejournal.com]

It's so true: not liking them would increase the crankypants factor. If I was a full-time contractor, like someone above, I might hold my nose and try and wrap it up quickly. As things are, I could pass them on - and pass on them.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

That's a tough one - is the work directly related to the religous client's beliefs? I wouldn't take work that would promote beliefs I'm not comfortable with, but I could see working for someone on a project that's not directly related to the nutso beliefs in question. After all, how much do you know about the personal beliefs/lives of the rest of your clients? You've probably already done projects for prople you'd avaid if you knew more about them.