Working "Under-the-Table" Could Be a Bad Career Move
A client with the temp agency I work for asked me to come and work for her behind the agency's back, so she can avoid paying their fee, and I did. I work for her on an as-needed basis and get paid with a check at the end of each day that I work, unless she needs me to work on consecutive days, then I get paid on the last day that I work. I know this is unethical - maybe even illegal - but I need the money and the temp agency hasn't been providing me with any jobs that match my skill set. When I told my roommate about it, she said, "Give yourself a break. You can always quit once the agency finds you another assignment and vow never to do it again - and mean it. Right now, it's all about survival." Is she right? Should I follow her advice or follow my conscience?
You've really answered your own question. If you felt that this was the right thing to do you wouldn't have written to us.
If the agency isn't providing you work that matches your skill set, why don't you just close your contract with them?
And you might think about the implication of your roommate's advice in terms of the broader society and how things break down if we were all to focus on "survival" at the expense of doing what we know -- in our heart of hearts -- are the right things to do. Is this behavior reflective of the person you are, really?