Did you ever quit a job or refuse to go along with something because it was unethical?

I told Tony Soprano to keep his dirty job.

I quit a waitressing job because a manger refused to interview a girl who is partially deaf and went so far as to actually make fun of the way she speaks. I refuse to work for or with immoral people.

Yes.
I would not lie on my reports to the state when members of the board of supervisors wanted me to.
Caused me about two years of horrendous grief and stress.
In the end, I was compensated for what I went through and was able to remain employed.
And, I got to watch as one of their main henchmen was convicted and sent to prison.

Yes, I have refused to do things that weren’t right. I protected myself by getting to the big boss first and by threatening to write a comment on my evaluation.

Eventually I did leave the job ostensibly to care for my disabled husband and my kids, but having to continue working with that so-and-so was the real reason.

The ultimate reason I quit McDonald’s was because I saw how the company ruthlessly abused its managers with no care for their concern, and I found it to be completely disgusting and not something I wanted to support.

Yep, a few times. I worked for this total scum bag early in my career (I was sixteen, and he wanted to take nude pics of me – that was a no brainer “NO”, though). He was falsifying W-2s, stating his income was much lower that it actually was so he could buy houses under the FHA loan programs for low income buyers. In addition, the law states that you must occupy the home for a year before renting it. He was buying multiple properties, with no intent to live in them at all. He would have me type the W-2s and fill out the forms for him. As soon as I figured out what he was doing, I refused to do the work for him anymore. He didn’t fire me, and I quit soon thereafter.

Later, I worked for a pathological liar. I refused to report false information to an insurance company for him. He was exasperated, but didn’t fire me.

My fist job out of college was working for a contractor to evaluate the environmental impact vs the economic improvements of a certain project. It was for a report that would be looked at to see if the economic benefit was greater then the environmental destruction.

It should be obvious that they didn’t want the real answer. They just wanted something with my name on it that said that it was good to build there. I refused to write that and walked out.

They found someone that would. But I wasn’t going to be responsible for destroying part of the wetlands.

I could (and often have) act out of the company’s interest – even if it doesn’t entirely match my own, but I don’t think I could do something I find morally wrong or unethical.

I’ve only once come across a situation at work that I found to be very unethical (behavior by other employees) and in that situation I did what I could to expose and correct the situation – faced with it again, I’d do the same.

I had a job while in college as a Nurse’s Aide. I ended up quitting and reporting the nursing home for violations that I witnessed.

I left my first real job based on the fact the company openly discriminated against certain groups of people. It was a worker’s comp insurance agency and refused to insure workers that were Mexican. (or the ones they presumed were Mexican.) They would allow a very small percentage, just to say they were insuring them – but then look for reasons not to insure others. Their belief was they didn’t stay current on their policies and were more accident prone.

I didn’t learn this until I was working for an underwriter (I was home from college) and she denied three proposals, right away – with no background information presented to her. I later asked why and she spelled it out, very clearly. I’m ashamed to say I worked their another month, watching this happen – but I finally left the company. Other employees were fed up, as well. One leaked it and the company eventually closed – the PR was horrible and they got what they deserved.

Yes. I transferred to another college.

Yes, I refused to reprice a crew budget higher for a boss. He wanted to skim, of course. I’m sure it was one of the primary reasons we didn’t get along and he didn’t feel bad when he had to lay me off as the company was going under.

I had to leave a place early that was folding because I was told to lie to the customers. I was supposed to collect their money even though we had nothing to send them. I told then I couldn’t do it and said goodbye.

Ethics… ethics… ethics… hmm I don’t seem to see that word in my book.
I did notice that not all the pages were colored in though.
Now where’d I put my crayons?

Just exactly what is your book? You only seem to have one.

It’s a color-by-number book. I’d tell you the title but I’ve had it so long the cover is worn blank.

Yes, An employee of mine gave notice and to save our client base I didn’t want her to spend the next few weeks passing them to her new firm so I asked her to leave at that moment and we’d pay her for 2 weeks.

The corporate HR department the next day decided that we didn’t have to pay her but yet as her manager I had made a commitment. I then gave my 2 week notice and they then asked myself to leave the next day out of fear of taking clients and they would pay me the 2 weeks and I said I want that in writing. They did. I had a job in 2 days at another firm and in the end, they did pay both of us the two weeks because of my verbal commitment.

I refuse to lie and do not like my integrity to be damaged by a corporate HR wack job…I’ve got a great career and the Company is almost closed down… Guess it all comes around!

@dnstrom Welcome to Fluther!