I recently interviewed for a position as an IT Project Manager for a retail company in the UK who traditionally were never involved in banking or insurance however in the recent past they entered into these areas and it would now seem as though these parts of the business are on par with their primary function.
I did not realized when I applied that they were involved in financial services. I don’t know how much of their income is derived from the banking or insurance divisions. Also I could end up working on projects related to these parts of the business.
Is it permissible for me to work for this company?
Note: that I have actively stayed away from the entire financial services sector my entire career. Also I have been out of work for 6 months now owing to the covid situation and it’s impact on the job market. Alhamdulillah I am not struggling from a financial standpoint but I do have a family relying on me, I have significant outgoings and I am eating into my savings.
I’ve been offered the job now however I’m not sure whether I should accept it and would welcome some advice please!
In terms of my responsibilities, I would be responsible for managing the implementation of digital projects, which in some cases may involve for example updating the company’s website or apps with regards to their banking offerings.
I would not be doing any of the work myself rather I would manage the people and the processes involved in the implementations.
May Allah bless you.
You mentioned that its a retail company that also offers financial services. But you didn’t mention what was the primary business of this company?
Nevertheless, the first thing to consider is that the company’s overall business activities must be halal.
Secondly, if your role involves some element of questionable duties such as the ones you mentioned, then it would be best to find another job.
However, given the current economic climate, don’t just leave your job. Get some experiences, then try to find something that is more acceptable from a shariah perspective, and which has a reasonable wage too.