Why I Would Quit My Job If I Worked For Urban Outfitters

When I was in college, I took an entire course on the economic effect of the retailing giant Wal-Mart. We looked their business practices, their effect on local economies and small businesses and the legal action that?s been taken against them. During that class, I made an informed decision that I wouldn?t spend my money at Wal-Mart. Even if some of their items are cheaper, I didn?t want to contribute to a company whose business ethics I don?t agree with.

Now, I?m not delusional enough to assume that missing out on my weekly grocery money is hurting the largest retailer in the world. I don?t guilt my friends or family members who choose to shop at Wal-Mart. I don?t petition them to give back to the communities that they often harm or change their business practices that keep over a million workers just under the full-time hour minimums, so that they don?t have to give anyone besides managers and shift leaders healthcare benefits. Basically, I just choose not to give them my money.

The internet provides consumers with mountains of information with which to make our purchasing decisions. And while I don?t spend hours a day researching every company I shop with, if I hear something about a company that I don?t agree with, I simply stop shopping there. I decide to give my money to businesses with ethics and morals that match my own best. And I feel good about that decision.

My co-worker here at The Grindstone, Ruth Graham, wrote an excellent piece on why she doesn?t worry about a CEO?s political affiliation. She brought up the recent trend of hating Urban Outfitters because their CEO, Richard Hayne, seems to be a conservative who supports Rick Santorum. I completely agree that you can?t stop shopping at every store that has a Republican in one of the C-suites. And Richard Hayne has every right to donate his own money to whatever political campaign he chooses. It?s not the Santorum affiliation that bothers me.

That being said, I don?t shop at Urban Outfitters. But it?s because they promote bigoted stereotypes, illegally use Native American ?prints,? and have products that are demeaning to women. Even if these decisions somehow coincide with Hayne?s political leanings, they are business decisions. They?re business decisions that I don?t support and therefore don?t give my money to.

When it comes to working for a company that doesn?t share my ethics or moral code, I have had to think long and hard about whether I?m comfortable taking money for a business that I don?t always agree with. For years, I worked for a beer distributor. I don?t have a problem with alcohol, but I can understand how it might seem rather hypocritical to take money from a company that makes a profit off of an addictive substance.

Personally, I had to weigh the company?s morals against my own. I looked at my business?s charitable efforts, which includes providing free taxi services to those in our area who have consumed a little too much out at the bars. I looked at our sales tactics, which had a strict policy against using the exploitation of women to generate profits. I thought about the owners of our company, who have always been quick to help an employee in need, generous to those who are less fortunate and supportive of working parents. One of our retired employees who still helps out part-time told me about the company paying for his son to attend a camp for autistic children every year, back when autism was less well-known and considered extremely rare. Other employees have admitted that the company gave them loans when they were going through financial trouble and never charged interest on the repayment.

I felt confident that I was working for a company with an ethical foundation that I approved. And for me, that?s an important part of giving my talent to a company and accepting their money. It goes hand in hand with making a conscious effort to shop at companies that I support.

I?m not saying that everyone needs to follow my lead. I don?t believe that everyone should feel guilty for shopping at Wal-Mart or Urban Outfitters or working for a company that dresses every female employee in a crop top and bootie shorts. It?s a personal decision whether these things bother us and whether we?re going to let it effect our purchasing or employment.

But if you?re working for Urban Outfitters and you?ve decided that you don?t agree with your CEO or that his political leanings bother you, that?s okay too. Find another position with a company you respect, put in your two-weeks notice like a professional and move on to another job. That?s the great thing about consumerism (and employment), we all have the right to shop where we want or work for whatever company agrees to hire us. However you make that decision, just feel comfortable with it.

(Photo: Washington Post)

golden girls robert e lee dez bryant aaliyah golden globe winners the express zappos hacked