The moral side of salary negotiations

[~Denise~]

Hi all,

I'm finishing school soon and will be taking boards to become an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. (I'm in the United States.) On one side I'm freaking out about not finding a job that is a good fit for my skills (or not finding anything at all!), but on the other, I've always found money to present a real moral dilemma for me.

I've always been strongly influenced by Jesus' teaching that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven. I've always felt that the desire for money is one of the most detrimental obstacles to holiness, that the desire to make more money perverts good health care in some cases, and couple that with intense concern about the out-of-control costs of the health care system in the United States, and my own desire to be in health care because I want to help people, not get rich.

So that presents a dilemma when it comes to salary negotiations. I feel wrong asking for any amount of money that is beyond my needs. And I have pretty low threshold for needs. I have lived in developing countries, and growing up my family needed to get government support to buy food. So I know how to live frugally and am very comfortable with that. But with this job, I know they're going to be talking about numbers that are ridiculously high--more than I need to support myself, pay my bills, and take care of my family. My husband already has a good income. How could I want more? If anything, I might want to negotiate down, not up!

So I don't have an exact question, just want some reflective thoughts from the awesome MDC community that I cherish so much.

Thank you!

[Purple Sage]

How about taking the going rate for salary and donating what you don't feel comfortable keeping for yourself? Just think of all the people you can help with the extra money you'll be making.

[goldfinches]

Originally Posted by Purple Sage

How about taking the going rate for salary and donating what you don't feel comfortable keeping for yourself? Just think of all the people you can help with the extra money you'll be making.

I agree. We try to live frugally and that allows us extra to give abundantly to our church so they can accomplish things they couldn't otherwise.

[Vaske]

Are there any non-profits or charities around that could use your skills? Hospices even? Being so frugal means you can take less lucrative (but not less significant) opportunities that others pass over. You could even volunteer, and leave money out of it entirely.

I have a tendency to be like the older brother in the Prodigal Son story: all duty, no partying. I've had to learn to allow myself to spend a little money on my own wants. One aspect of the Sabbath is feasting, and I allot a few dollars a week toward that.

[javilu]

i think donating the surplus is a great idea. in a related way, you might be able to set up a trust with/for an organization/cause and it will be invested and when you die, the group will get the money you put away, plus any other money it earned. or you could donate most of the extra money, and keep a little to help you help others personally, like supplies for projects (i know someone who makes quilts for kids in hospitals), adopting or sponsoring a cat or dog from a rescue or the pound, buying clothes/shoes/school supplies for foster kids in your neighborhood, etc.

[DashsMama]

I would encourage you NOT to negotiate down. There may be other nurses who desperately need a higher salary to support their families. Accepting a lower salary for yourself might be just the precedent that management needs to justify to lowering everyone's salary.

I agree with what others have said. Take the going rate, and then donate what you don't need to your favorite charity, or put it into savings in case of emergency. I also think that taking a job with a lower paying charity organization is a great idea too.

Good luck to you, and thank you for going into this worthy profession!

[bluebirdiemama]

Are you in debt? If you are, you absolutely have no place refusing anything.

Either way, I encourage you to take what they offer you. My belief is that the Lord blesses us so we can bless others. The hospital is responsible for running their bussiness, and you and your husband are responsible for management of your home and finances. If you end up with tons of extra money you can use it to futher your churches missions, maybe send people on missions who couldn't otherwise afford it, or donate to low income families, help people pay their heating bills in the winter, feed people during the holidays..... really, all kinds of stuff.


Jesus did give us the illustration of the camel through the eye of a needle, but he also gave us this:

Luke 19:11-27


Money itself isn't a sin, greed is. I do think the Lord gave us everything we had, have, will have so that we can use it to bring glory and honor to Him. And when we don't, that is sin.
The Lord is giving you this extra income for a reason. Take it and look to Him as to how to spend it, or how to give it. And you will be blessed in your heart and inner person more than you will be materially.

[~Denise~]

Thanks a ton, mammas. I'm feeling a lot more serene about this already.

(The volunteering thing is unfortunately really risky and advised against, because at least here in the United States, you don't have the proper collaborative agreements and credentialling and malpractice insurance as a volunteer, and you risk exposing yourself and your family to some massive financial ruin for practicing without all the i's dotted and the t's crossed. But if I could I would!)

[mammal_mama]

This is really interesting. When I saw the thread title, I'd assumed you were talking about the dishonest practices that are often prevalent in salary negotiations, such as pretending that you just got a better offer from someone else just to see if you can get more.

I think it's really neat that you only want to take what you absolutely need -- but I tend to agree with the others that it's better to take the going rate for whatever job you're offered, and just pass on your extra blessings to the world at large in whatever ways you feel led.

Congratulations and Best wishes!