BY AARDE WRITES for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 9/11/2026
Hey Aarde,
What advice can you offer someone who wants to avoid spending money at businesses whose owners or policies conflict with their social values, while still supporting the employees who may not share responsibility for the employer’s conduct?
Signed, Reluctant Boycotter
Hey Reluctant Boycotter,
Whether big or small, companies and corporations have always faced public scrutiny. Longstanding concerns about wages, employee benefits, labor practices, political spending, or social influence have continually caused consumer friction. It’s no wonder it becomes a concern for the people when companies fund political parties or social ideologies that hurt and oppress our fellow citizens. But just because it feels like we live in a dimension where history is in a perpetual repeat of its errors, I don’t want you to feel like nothing will ever change, or that this cycle is forever inevitable.
Your question highlights the importance of separating the serfs from the feudal lords (aka the employees from the employers). These employees may be unable to change employment, so it’s good to be realistic about their options and actions. It is possible to demand accountability from an employer while also supporting uninvolved employees, some of whom are our family, friends, and neighbors who may not share and certainly don’t control the business’s political or social positions. So treading with care is understandable.
Boycotts work because there is strength in people uniting around what they believe is right, and it’s where true change can happen. With that said, one way to show solidarity with employees is not to boycott the establishment entirely but to go in, order the cheapest item, avoid any optional spending that increases the owner’s profit, and tip the employee generously. You can also ask the employee if they have any side hustles that you can support that would benefit them directly. Perhaps they are an artist, or a musician, or own an eBay store that you can support. Or, hell, even start a fundraiser to offset the loss of income for employees who stand in the line of fire due to the boycott. And remember, you must avoid any actions that could expose workers to harassment or retaliation; don’t make them fight their employer’s battle.
It’s worth considering how crucial it is, especially today, to research a business carefully rather than rely on rumors. Mistakes can be made and apologies given. Misunderstandings will run rampant before clarification comes. And sometimes, a business owner will double down on a controversial stance, choosing their convictions over the customers who bankroll them. The trouble is, each of these scenarios can take time to fully unfold.
And this is where things can begin to get convoluted and start to feel yucky. Sometimes a business ends up in the hot seat because money donated for one political purpose also supports causes its customers may find harmful. The public reacts, employees get caught in the middle, other businesses pull their support, and suddenly an owner has to answer for where the money went, maybe not where they intended it to go. It’s their responsibility to convince you.
Herein comes the response: an explanation, an apology, a clarification, perhaps even support for the very community that felt harmed. Does that erase the original decision? Not necessarily. Does it matter? I think it should. Accountability isn’t only about punishment; it is also about giving people the opportunity to respond, repair damage, and show us what they do next.
In the meantime, you can do your due diligence by contacting the business directly. When you do get the owner on the line, explain which practices concern you, ask for clarification on their stance, and present the changes that would restore your support. At the same time, keep your criticism focused on decisions and policies rather than personal attacks. As the adage goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and sometimes how we make our point matters just as much as the point itself for it to truly be heard.
If the response is lacking, the problem persists, and you care deeply about employees, you can support or step into the role of advocate by sharing job opportunities, supporting employee-led organizing, or donating to labor and community groups. Hell, that’s how we ended up with Frances Perkins, the woman behind the New Deal, the U.S. secretary of labor in FDR’s presidential cabinet for over a decade.
Obviously, you are free to boycott any business. Still, as we just discussed, it can affect innocent bystanders, which is why I implore you to consider the whole picture, do your due diligence, and make informed decisions. Luckily, a boycott isn’t a life sentence and can be lifted when the concern has been rectified. Of course, you are allowed to decide when a response isn’t enough, when an apology rings hollow, or when your money is better spent elsewhere. But if the purpose of speaking up is to demand change, we also have to leave room to recognize it when it happens. Otherwise, we aren’t asking for change at all; we’re only asking for punishment, and sometimes those not worthy are the ones who end up suffering.
I am grateful to be part of a community with people like you who really care to keep asking this.
Do you have a question for Ask Aarde? Send it to Jdaarde@gmail.com
