In 1977 country-western singer Johnny Paycheck popularized a song written by David Allan Coe with the catchy title, "Take This Job and Shove It." The song relates the story of a factory worker whose "woman done left and took all the reason" he was working for. The singer, however, does not actually tell the foreman to shove it. He'd give the shirt off his back if he had the guts to say it. He talks about getting the nerve to say it, but at the end of the song he is still working at his dead end job.

What this guy needed was "go to hell" money. My wife introduced me to this concept. She explained that you should always have enough money stashed away that you can walk out the door, middle finger held high. If your supervisor asks you to act in an immoral or illegal way, you need the security to allow you to quit, now.

This scenario generally doesn't come up in most jobs. If you are working for a plumber or a roofing contractor, you probably will never encounter a situation where you are asked to do something that conflicts with your moral code. Certain employees, however, are more likely to encounter situations where decisions could involve difficult moral choices. A police officer might be ordered to overlook a crime committed by the chief's brother, or an accountant could be asked to alter the records to please a rich client. You'll need a financial cushion when you wave goodbye.

I always explained the concept of "go to hell" money to my students at San José State. I also noted that for most people, quitting a job can be an extremely difficult decision. For me, not so much. First, my wife was an excellent breadwinner. I only had one child. I had no mortgage. For most of my life I didn't own a credit card. Given my lifestyle and tastes, I could get by on a fairly limited income.

For many people, losing your job is tantamount to living in poverty. They have house payments, car payments, credit card payments. Gas is expensive. Cigarettes are expensive. Milk is expensive.

And that is precisely why it is important to have that fund. Save a few bucks a week. Every day customers at my local gas station are buying lottery tickets. If they put that money in a box in the back of the closet, they would soon have a tidy nest egg.

Sometimes it is not enough to just walk out the door. You need to blow the whistle, to alert the authorities, to go above your immediate supervisor, or to contact your local television station. You've heard the cliche, "If you see something, say something." Cliche or not, it is a good rule. Again, consequences can be severe.

I am fully aware that as I sit here at my keyboard and dish out advice on moral behavior, I am not facing any kind of hardship or retribution. I get that. Nonetheless, we live at a time where moral action and right behavior may be more important than ever.

~ Roy Christman