In this article institutions of compulsory care are analysed as workplaces and organisations from the perspective of the employee. Two ethnographic interviews with an experienced staff member is analysed with a discourse theoretical logics approach (Glynos & Howarth 2007), and through the concept of human resource organisations. Two main logics are emphasised in the interviews: a logic of care and a logic of economy. The two logics are conceptualised as colliding principles of meaning with different sets of demands and expectations placed upon the employees. The logic of care is rooted in employees’ own sense of professionalism and internal work ethics. The logic of economy on the other hand is understood as external and unprofessional, and is connected to demands from the organisation. The analysis shows that employees see themselves as outer in relation to the organisation, and that the organisation is viewed as an obstacle for professionalism rather than as a resource and supportive function.