Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your workplace questions each week for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world’s largest trade association of human resources professionals, and author of “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”
Question: My employer supported me during a difficult period in my life about a year ago, and I’m genuinely grateful. Now I’ve received an offer elsewhere with significantly higher pay and stronger long-term prospects. Is it disloyal to leave a company that stood by me when I needed them? – Nadia
Why Loyalty Still Matters
Answer: It’s natural to feel conflicted in this situation. When an employer supports you during a difficult chapter in your life, it matters and is worth considering as you decide your next career move.
Loyalty may be a lost art in some workplaces, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost its value. There can absolutely be long-term benefits to staying with an organization that has invested in you. Trust builds over time. Strong internal relationships, institutional credibility, leadership opportunities, and career growth often come more easily inside organizations where people know your value and are invested in your success.
You also shouldn’t overlook the value of working for people who supported you when you needed it most. How an organization treats employees during difficult moments tells you a great deal about the kind of company it is.
Weighing the New Offer
At the same time, employees have to manage their careers realistically. Companies make business decisions every day, and employees should make thoughtful decisions about their own future.
What’s important here is not choosing between loyalty and ambition. It’s evaluating the full picture honestly. Compensation and career growth matter. But so do culture and leadership. Those things should carry real weight in your decision-making process because they often become most visible when life gets hard.
Before making a final decision, it may be worth having an honest conversation with your employer. If they value your contributions, there may be opportunities to discuss compensation, expanded responsibilities, or future growth. Sometimes employers are more willing to invest in strong employees than people realize.
How to Leave Gracefully
At the end of the day, you have to make the decision that is best for your long-term professional and personal well-being. In my experience, good leaders want what’s best for their employees, even if that means supporting them as they move on.
And if you ultimately decide the new opportunity is the right move, leaving doesn’t make you disloyal. It means you’re making a thoughtful career decision. The key is how you leave. Express gratitude sincerely. Acknowledge the support you received and the impact it had on you professionally and personally.
Careers are long, and relationships matter. The people who supported you during one chapter of your career may become mentors, references, partners, or colleagues again in another. Leaving respectfully can preserve those relationships, and that matters more than staying out of guilt ever will.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
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