Moral Dilemma

  • Thread starter Thread starter John_of_Woking
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John_of_Woking

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My Head office asks me to raise Invoices to charge our customers. They ask me to add 13 per cent onto the Invoices and call it an NationaI Insurance charge but they have not agreed this with our customers! The customers invariably get peeved and we end up crediting the 13 per cent back. I have told them my moral objections as this 13 per cent charge is not really on. There is no such thing as a National Insurance charge but they said sometimes they pay it so add the 13 per cent on or else…

My options
  1. Leave immediately (got a wife and kid to support)
  2. Stay and carry on adding the 13 per cent but keep pestering them until they change i.e. be a light in the darkness.
  3. Hand in my notice and keep working until I find something morally acceptable? What does one do with a Theology degree?
 
I understand your dilemma but I don’t think it on par with mortal sin, so it’s not worth giving up your job. If your bosses expected you to participate in abortions or something, then you’d have good reason to look elsewhere. Don’t sweat this 13% if you can just turn around and take it off, anyway. Charge it and then tell your customers that the company has decided to pay the fee themselves, so you are taking it off. You won’t be lying because your company will take it off if requested, and you will make your customers happy. 😉

On the practical side, if you are not happy and fulfilled at your job then look into other options while still working there. Contact your college about positions for theology degree students that may have come in. Have you considered teaching? You could take evening and weekend classes to get your degree/certificate/whatever is required for that. In any case, look into everything that might be available to you, and all the best to you and yours! 🙂
 
Are you in the sort of company that you can whistle blow to a higher up? If I’m understanding you correctly, your company is freely engaging in fraud and theft. Personally, if there is no one I could complain to, I’d throw in the towel and raise a royal ruckus. Its your duty to defend your own clients from theft.

Things can be different if you’re struggling for the money, but as it seems you’re in a position to take the job cut for the time being, that would seem the best choice to me.

Josh
 
It always amazes me that companies ask their employees to do things like this and then are surprised when their employees are less than honest in their in-house dealings. :confused:
 
If this is a good job otherwise worth keeping, it might be worth it to you to discuss the situation with an attorney. Time and time again I have seen people say they “can’t afford” legal advice, but then the situation snowballs and they either get sacked or resign with poorer prospects. The money you spend now might be well spent. Whistle-blowing and a lawsuit could change your entire career, but good advice will help you prepare for many possibilities.
 
It sounds to me that your company may be struggling – a company in crisis may make unwise decisions in an attempt to bolster sagging revenues.

If I may make a suggestion – can you present your company with an idea that will impact the bottom line? Can you find ways to save the company on expenses (for example, my office recently compared where we were purchasing our office supplies, and found we can reduce that cost by 60% if we shop at a big-box wholesale club instead of ordering from the company that delivers to our door). Can you audit customer accounts and correct underbillings – (this happens most often if the company provides intangibles/services)? On the flip side, auditing your vendor invoices to make sure you are not being overcharged for services can make some huge savings.

My point being, if you go to the boss with “this 13% increase is wrong” – you could get your walking papers. If you go to your boss with “I’ve reviewed our costs and discovered were we can save…” and present the numbers to the boss (if they are monthly savings, be sure to annualize these savings on your report), – you transform yourself into an asset to the company. You get to do the right thing and be a hero at the same time!
 
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threej_lc:
Are you in the sort of company that you can whistle blow to a higher up? If I’m understanding you correctly, your company is freely engaging in fraud and theft. Personally, if there is no one I could complain to, I’d throw in the towel and raise a royal ruckus. Its your duty to defend your own clients from theft.

Things can be different if you’re struggling for the money, but as it seems you’re in a position to take the job cut for the time being, that would seem the best choice to me.

Josh
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Hi Josh

I seriously appreciate your advice. Is it fraud and theft? On teh one hand The extra 13 per cent is included on the invoice. So they can choose whether to pay it.
On the other hand this was not the agreed fee.

I have raised it with the company chairman who was on my side and thought it a disreputable pratice. I also questioned its legality

However I was told it is legal by the chairman and everyone else. The company chairman was persuaded to keep adding 13 per cent by the sales people. I have told all the sales people to contact the customer and warn them about the 13 per cent fee. So I feel I’ve done my bit. I deal with the payroll issues. I’d have thought it was the sales department’s duty to get the fee right as I have no contact with the customer. However I appreciate your advice and will be on the look out for new work
 
Joe Kelley:
It always amazes me that companies ask their employees to do things like this and then are surprised when their employees are less than honest in their in-house dealings. :confused:
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Agree. 100 per cent.
 
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kage_ar:
It sounds to me that your company may be struggling – a company in crisis may make unwise decisions in an attempt to bolster sagging revenues.

If I may make a suggestion – can you present your company with an idea that will impact the bottom line? Can you find ways to save the company on expenses (for example, my office recently compared where we were purchasing our office supplies, and found we can reduce that cost by 60% if we shop at a big-box wholesale club instead of ordering from the company that delivers to our door). Can you audit customer accounts and correct underbillings – (this happens most often if the company provides intangibles/services)? On the flip side, auditing your vendor invoices to make sure you are not being overcharged for services can make some huge savings.

My point being, if you go to the boss with “this 13% increase is wrong” – you could get your walking papers. If you go to your boss with “I’ve reviewed our costs and discovered were we can save…” and present the numbers to the boss (if they are monthly savings, be sure to annualize these savings on your report), – you transform yourself into an asset to the company. You get to do the right thing and be a hero at the same time!
Click to expand...
Its good advice but I am really low down in the hierarchy. I told the chairman “the customers will stop using us if they think we’re pulling a fast one”. He agreed but told me that the sales people had told him it was all above board. I’m very confused
 
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