To manage or not – Dog Abby

Dog Abby,

I have been employed with the same company for over 5 years, and about a year ago I was promoted to the position of accounts manager. The company was recently bought out by a larger company. The new ownership’s philosophy and business practices are a reversal of many of the original company’s approaches, which I had always cherished. I am not alone in feeling this. Morale here is at an all-time low, and I don’t see it getting better soon.

Although I love my coworkers and the type of work I do, I decided to give my notice on Friday. (I have managed my money well, and I have enough money saved up to pay my bills for at least 6 months.) Just as I was about to do so, I was called into the office and was offered a promotion with a substantial raise. I was shocked, and told them I needed to think about it. They were surprised that I didn’t say yes immediately, but told me that I could let them know on Monday.

Abby, it’s now Sunday night, and I am still torn. This new position would grant me prestige and a comfortable income, but I think I would be much happier somewhere else, even if I wasn’t making as much money. I also have a spouse and a six-year-old child at home, so my decision will affect them as well. What do I tell them in the morning?

Merged Out in Memphis

 

Dear Merged,

We dogs live by a simple code: be happy! Unlike our human friends, we never force ourselves to be sad. We just do not know how, and I do not think I would like to learn. My heart feels happy most of the time, and mom says that is why I am living a long life. I turn 11 next week, so she must be right. I hear that is really old for a Golden Retriever.

The other day, dad talked to mom and me about the job he recently left. He was a manager there, and he liked it for a while, but then he realized that his employer’s main client was “immoral” and “capricious.” I gave my dad my best question eyebrows because I did not know what those words meant. He told me it meant that they did bad things and kept changing their minds about how they wanted things done. Dad said a lot of his coworkers had quit because they no longer felt good about the job and did not want to do it anymore. Many others had been fired for no good reason, so everybody was scared. After realizing that he could not do good in his manager job, dad stopped being a manager there and then began looking for a better job. He felt good when he could finally quit. He now has a job he likes, run by good people, and he plans to stay there for a long time.

Mom and dad say it is important to be happy, but it is also important to be responsible. It is good that you have money saved up in case of an emergency. It is also good that you are thinking about your family. Mom says that often grownups have to do things they do not like to do very much so that they can help those they love. She also says that it is always worth it.

You did not say what you actually do at your job, but you did say you liked the work. Mom said to consider the idea that becoming a manager would put you in a position where you could change the company from the inside and make it a better place, more like it was, or maybe even better.

When dad was offered his new job, he had to wait two whole months until they were ready for him to start. He continued to work at his old job to make sure he was doing his part to take care of us. Mom told him that it was OK to be unhappy as long as he was doing something about it. She says that to people all of the time, and even put it in her book, “Get Over It & Get Started.” So that is what dad did, he looked for something better while he did a good job at his old job.

Take the job and the raise. See what you can do to help others and yourself. If you still hate it, look for another job WHILE you are working at your new job. This way, you are moving forward, not sideways or backward. This will also let you hold onto the money you saved in case of a real emergency. You can even add to it with the higher amount of money you will be making.

Mom added one more thing, she said that it is always easier to get a new job when you already have a job.

Love,
Abby