I find myself in the center of a personal moral debate. I currently work for my Aunt and Uncle at their landscaping company as a receptionist. Granted this is not my dream job. There are some benefits like getting to work with my family, a loose dress-code, and a rather relaxed office atmosphere. However there are problems as well. The job is in New Jersey, which means I'm stuck driving approximately 1 1/2 hours each way everyday. There is also a $5 bridge toll for me to get home everyday, plus the gas, and the fact that everything is closed by the time I get home so I cannot get my errands done (like going to the bank).
I still cannot afford health insurance, which was one of the major draws to this position in the first place. Most of my income goes back into getting to work in the first place. This all has been weighing on my mind pretty heavily in the past weeks. However this is not the cause for my moral dilemma. Back in February the other receptionist/secretary, Lois, had to go out on medical leave for an operation she needed in her leg. The operation has since been successful, and though walking with a cane, she is able to move around and would be able to come back to work.
The management, however, cannot afford to bring her back to work. They have been forced to make budget cuts and decided that, because I can handle both Lois' job and my own, she does not need to come back. She came into our office today, crying because she needs her job. She has been with this company for 20 years, she loves her job. She has mortgage payments she needs to make, in addition to her medical bills.
So I find myself, wracked with guilt and self-loathing because I have taken her job, a job I don't even want. What is one to do? I cannot just quit, I have bills to pay as well, and an upcoming trip to Baltimore MD for Otakon which requires money. I have put out applications to other jobs, but none have responded as of yet. I hope they do, so I can give this job back to it's rightful owner.
