It is no longer safe or responsible or ethical to carry on working without thinking about what we do and the effect it has. I’m not going to question you about what it is you do. That is entirely for you to do. As a writer, I am aware that a lot of good trees could die young because of me. Balanced against that are the positive effects (I hope) of what I write, and people who are employed as a result of the writing. Ah, but I have no control over their working conditions so I’m off the hook there. Or am I?

So, for me it is dead trees, the electricity I use in my office and the pollution caused by trucks delivering books to book stores, to name but a few by-products of my sitting here tapping away. What about you? Handled any hazardous waste lately? Or designed a missile guidance system? Or logged an entire rain forest? Or does your work provide an essential service or product; does it make people happier, wealthier or more successful?

What we do for a living has an impact. We can be working in an industry that pollutes, causes harm, is unpleasant and bad. Or we might be working to help others, to benefit people positively. Knowing that what we do causes an effect – for good or bad – doesn’t mean we have to instantly chuck everything up and change jobs. Nor does it mean we can sit back and relax and think we’re doing OK just because we work in a caring job.

Every job, every industry has some ramifications – good and bad. Everything we do at work can have great benefit or cause harm. We have to weigh it all up and check how we feel about it. And if we are unhappy we can leave, but not too fast because there’s a great chance we can change things from the inside.

I worked in one industry for a while where I was aware that things were a bit dodgy, so I adopted the line of asking, ‘What if the press get hold of this, what would that do to us?’ I wasn’t whistle-blowing or opposing anyone, merely asking. But it did draw attention to the fact that what was happening was slightly the other side of a fine line. Maybe you could do the same. Or maybe you can slowly, quietly, use the influence that you have and the actions you are able to take, to change things ever so slightly for the better.