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Comment by agubelu | Hacker News Reader

I dislike the word "loyalty" when talking about employment. Loyalty is for your spouse, friends and family. Your relationship with your employer is a contractual one.

When it comes to my job, I believe in doing your best possible work, being professional and acting in good faith. I expect to be paid fairly and treated with respect. If this relationship is mutually beneficial, it can go on for a long while. But it's important to remember that, as soon as it stops being beneficial to one party, it will be unilaterally rescinded.

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This is a very rich-world view of work. Most people can't just "unilaterally rescind" their employment if they decide they don't like it anymore.

I don't disagree with what you're getting at, just understand that loyalty is a necessity to a lot of folks, and I don't think it is because their values are misplaced.

I understand your point, but I wouldn't call that loyalty either. Loyalty is a choice, you could cheat on your partner, but you choose not to.

What you're talking about is necessity. If you don't have the possibility to simply walk away from a job, then you're sticking around because you must, not because you're loyal.

Yeah,that's loyalty in the same way that a hostage is loyal to their captor.

They said "stops beneficial to one party", not that any of the parties stops liking it.

Many people don't like their jobs, that doesn't mean they don't benefit enough from it to pay bills.

>Most people can't just "unilaterally rescind" their employment if they decide they don't like it anymore.

I suspect what's meant here is that most anyone can take a different job and leave one that no longer serves them, not that most anyone can walk away from a job without another lined up.

I agree, and also, if it becomes not beneficial to me (for instance, large increase in responsibility for no raise), I will move from "do my absolute best mode" to "minimum effort mode" until I can line up something else -- which is just me realigning my effort level to match the standard set by the Company.

100% agree, loyalty goes both ways and we rarely see loyal employers (massive layoffs including hi-profile employee who dedicated their life to the company)

Loyalty to a corporation is misplaced because it can only be as loyal as its agents are, and those are numerous and constantly shifting.

I think its fine to be loyal to individuals that have earned it, but don’t make the mistake of thinking your boss can guarantee your employment in all circumstances, that’s not how the corporate world works.

Red flag if bosses use that word, it's either an attempt to manipulate or they have a weird entitled view of what you owe them.

I don't like the word "loyalty" when talking about anything. It's not a virtue in any circumstance. Spouses, friends and family are just as likely to abuse it. A bullshit concept celebrated by those who crave power. It's Religion Light.

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