Repsonsibility, Morality etc

[John_of_Woking]

Hello

I work in finance (payroll)

At work I occasionally come across mistakes or errors/omissions due in payments. These are down to flawed checks and controls. Not involving too large sums of money I hasten to add.

I will highlight these to my superiors and disclose any mistakes made by me or whoever in a calm non-judgmental manner.

The trouble is I have limited responsibility and no authorisation to make payments. In some instances my superiors will thank me and make due restitution. In other areas they say “thanks but we’re not going to do anything about that for now.” I reply saying well “if it was me I would” or “I think you should” but it drives me insane. They are good people and its not as if there are any systematic cover ups but I am scrupulous and i get very despondent.

Whilst I am not directly responsible I feel culpable. It knaws away at me…EVERY JOB I HAVE HAD I have these moral dilemmas and it hacks me off. My last job I left. The one before I got the director involved (and was later ‘made redundant’). This job I am happy in but feel massively guilty.

My question is “Does anyone else have these kind of dilemmas at work?” and “What do you do about it?” I sometimes wish I was in an enclosed monastery where my work was just prayer and mortification and fighting the devil head on. Then I wouldn’t have to put up with all these worldly compromises and nuances but I am married and need to provide for my family. I can’t jack this one in as well…Or maybe my eternal salvation is at stake?

 

[baltobetsy]

You have done all you need to do by notifying your superiors of the errors. They may be aware of additional circumstances that make the restitution you recommend unnecessary or inappropriate. Let them do their job and take the responsibility that is theirs, not yours.

Your responsibility is to support your family. If you give in to what you know is a scrupulous compulsion to fight your superiors on these issues, you will find yourself on the job hunt yet again. That failure to support your family is much worse than letting your boss do what he wishes about small amounts of money.

Betsy

 

[John_of_Woking]

You have done all you need to do by notifying your superiors of the errors. They may be aware of additional circumstances that make the restitution you recommend unnecessary or inappropriate. Let them do their job and take the responsibility that is theirs, not yours.

Your responsibility is to support your family. If you give in to what you know is a scrupulous compulsion to fight your superiors on these issues, you will find yourself on the job hunt yet again. That failure to support your family is much worse than letting your boss do what he wishes about small amounts of money.

Betsy

Thanks. I needed to hear that.