On the Precipice: Staying, Leaving, or Preparing? Ethical and Practical Considerations for Uncertain Times
Considering Resignation - Torn between Ethical and Financial Dilemmas
Under extraordinary circumstances, such as massive lay-offs, budget cuts and a halt of projects, staying in a job can feel like betraying one’s own values, colleagues and even the entire development sector. Witnessing how the organization’s mission is challenged and the hardships that peers are enduring might put you in an ethical dilemma and create feelings of guilt and shame. Choosing between one’s integrity and needs is an extremely difficult situation. Although we cannot answer the question whether you should resign from your current job as an act of protest, we aim to help you navigate what that might look like, whether now or in the future.
This section is for both scenarios: you’re holding on while wondering how much longer you can last, or you are ready to walk away but still unsure how to do so responsibly. Whether you’re dealing with survivor’s guilt while staying or thinking about leaving in protest, we offer tools and practical steps to help you take those steps at peace with yourself.
Please send us (ourstopgap@gmail.com) any other resources on resigning, survivor's guilt or similar you know of so we can share it here.
Making the Hard Choice: ‘Should I stay or should I go?’
Remember: Staying doesn’t have to mean selling yourself out, and leaving doesn’t have to mean jumping without a parachute.
Key questions to ask yourself:
What exactly is making you consider resigning? Values misalignment, (pre-existing) burnout, political protest, distrust in the organization, financial concern for the future? Something else?
What is no longer tolerable, and what might still be repairable?
Which are the benefits and downsides of staying and leaving?
Could something change for you to stay? How likely is it to happen?
Would you have considered leaving already before the funding cuts?
Considerations to keep in mind: resigning is a somewhat privileged decision to make that entails certain safety. It may also feel like a panicked jump out of a car that’s about to crash, without knowing the surrounding terrain.
Assess your financial readiness to resign: think of your budget and savings, and if you qualify for unemployment benefits.
Check out our section on Emergency Lifelines - Places to Find Mutual Aid and Immediate Financial Support to see the recommendations and resources in a situation of unemployment.
Check for alternatives or temporary solutions: Can you negotiate to improve the situation? Could you instead work part-time or in another project that aligns more with your values? Could you take leave and stall the decision?
Ethical concerns: Is there an option to submit a formal ethical grievance, or request policy clarification?
Make sure to document ethical wrongdoings, if they are directly linked to your (potential) resignation, including a record of emails, meetings, decisions, etc
Read When it ethical to resign in protest? by Steve Walker. Using a case study from the Bosnia War, a Senior FSO discusses the ethics of resignation over policy.
“In his insightful meditation Public Integrity, the ethicist J. Patrick Dobel suggests a set of criteria—a “triangle of judgment”—to guide such a decision. Dobel argues that professional integrity is the product of the harmonious interplay of three sets of “ethics”—legal-institutional, personal responsibility, and effectiveness—that interact synergistically and dynamically.”
How to Resign Thoughtfully, Strategically and Safely: walk away with a plan
Steps to leave in protest:
Gather your personal files (including samples of your work, and if applicable the above-mentioned ethical wrongdoings) and (internal and external) contacts
Rebuild your CV and (quietly) re-activate your job search. Check out our section on Job-seeking and Networking in Crisis - Rebuilding your Career for a comprehensive list of job-listing sites, career advice, climate and social impact platforms for job-seekers, Linkedin Pages and tips.
Discreetly, let your trusted colleagues and any other allies know
Write a resignation letter that is clear and protects your future employability, and optionally includes ethical or political reasons. Remember, you can but don’t have to explain why you resign.
Read resignation letters that include political motves by US State Department Special Assistant Lily Greenberg Call and USAID Senior Adviser Alex Smith
Read about this West Ada teacher to resign over 'Everyone is Welcome Here' controversy
What are you leaving behind? And what are you standing or looking for in the future?
Leaving can suppose a political act, especially if your silence would imply consent with the current course of action. Consider going public if you have a safe platform to do so, but prioritize safety.
If you are considering whistleblowing, check out:
Whistleblower, an organization that promotes corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech, and empowering citizen activists
SpeakUp, a whistleblowing and case management platform built specifically for multinationals
Help, I’m a whistleblower! Tips when speaking up is hard by Moritz Homann for tips on how to speak up effectively and protect yourself in the process
Look for collectives, coalitions or campaigns of employees in a similar situation, you are stronger together.
Survivor’s Guilt: Staying without losing yourself
Survivor’s Guilt or Workplace Survivor Syndrome: the emotional toll of those that remain in the job
“When layoffs happen, those who are let go often feel a deep sense of why me?, while those who stay feel guilty for keeping their jobs.” Unemployment Guilt: Why It Happens and What Leaders Can Do About It? Sally ElAkkad by Sally ElAkkad
Those that remain in the job might feel “Anxiety about job security, pondering the possibility of further downsizing or layoffs. Guilt stemming from being spared while others were not, often accompanied by thoughts about the plight of those who have lost their jobs. Increased stress due to a heavier workload resulting from reduced staff, leading to concerns about managing the workload effectively. Anguish over the loss of workplace friendships and the absence of familiar faces for interaction and support. Grief over the departure of colleagues and a longing for the camaraderie that once existed.” Workplace Survivor Syndrome by Shauna Moore Reynold
Acknowledge all your feelings: You can feel gratitude, grief, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt and hope, all at the same time - about your work, your (former) colleagues, your organization and the overall state of the world.
It can be hard to remain in a job where you aren't thriving, and maybe even suffering. Make sure to take care of yourself, speak to others in a similar situation, and perhaps consider a career shift in a mid- or long-term future.
Find ways to make the best of it while you are still employed. Channel your values and support the overall social and environmental impact community:
Help your laid-off colleagues by connecting them to jobs or offering mentorship
Advocate for internal change and be part of the resistance, within your boundaries
Consider donating or getting involved in mutual aid networks
Write an open letter, it could be through a collective or anonymously
Reflect on your ethical impact to combat moral fatigue, helplessness and frustration
What does ethical compromise mean to you within the current circumstances? Who do you want to be during this time?
These are difficult times for balancing ethics, integrity, safety, stability and career. Everyone has different priorities and circumstances, so let’s try not to judge ourselves and others too much. Don’t be too hard on yourself, check in with others, seek mutual support and keep your head up. Individual or collective burnout won't serve the broader cause so look out for each other!
Check out our section on Preparing for the Worst - Safety Nets and Protections to see the recommendations and resources on mental health while still being employed.