Ask a Manager

A reader writes:

I work for a privately-held company that donates to faith-based organizations that some believe to be narrow-minded. Though I may not agree with all of the company president’s political and religious views, I respect his right to have them, and they do not impact the way that any suppliers, employees, or customers are treated. Treating everyone with respect, tolerance, and kindness is emphasized at all levels of the organization. I greatly enjoy the work, my manager, and the company culture.

Recently, a company with similar beliefs and contributions has been under public scrutiny, including possibly being denied approval to do business in some municipalities. It’s made me worry about how my own company’s reputation might affect my career prospects if my family needs to relocate in the future. Might having a company with known conservative, religious beliefs on my resume hurt me in the long run, despite my personal history of accomplishments and experience?

Nah.

The vast majority of people are able to separate the work you’re doing from the beliefs of your company president. You probably won’t even be asked about it. (One exception to this would be if you work in PR for the company, in which case questions about how you handled any resulting controversy would be fair game because it would be work-related.)

However, I do think it’s worth thinking about whether you’re comfortable helping to generate profits that are used in part to push these political views, especially since it’s the company, and not just the president himself, making these donations.