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"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- editors-writers -dot- info> wrote ...
> If you hire me and you do not tell me that my drafts have to be ready at any
> time for inspection by you, and that they really shouldn't be drafts at all,
> but should be finished product, you are behaving unethically.
No, I'm behaving dumbly. Unethical is when somebody does something that is
fundamentally wrong or hurtful for their own gain.
I think you are confusing "unethical" with "unpleasant" or "unproductive."
In order for a person to behave unethically, they have to violate a widely held
and accepted code of ethics. For example, lying to a customer about the
capability of a product is unethical because it violates a basic tenet of
business that businesses are honest to customers.
But failing to tell an employee all the possible expectations that might be
heaped on them does not violate some widely held, universal code of ethics. It is
more along the lines of an oversight. An organization can function without every
possible expectation being perfectly communicated to every employee. Like I said,
this is why we have training periods. People have to "learn the ropes" and that
doesn't happen immediately.
Furthermore, it is impossible to adequately communicate every possible
expectation. Every employee has a different work ethic and therefore different
expectations must be applied to them.
For example, some people think it is perfectly acceptable to consistently work 30
hours a week when they are being paid for 40. These people clearly need to be
reminded of the company's expectation that they work a minimum of 40 hours a
week. Personally, I don't think any diligent, professional person should have to
be reminded of such an expectation. But, not everybody is the same. Some people
need more guidance and supervision than others. While some are so bad, they
demand micro-management.
Therefore, you're expectation that EVERY possible expectation be clearly laid out
on day one isn't just absurd, its impossible.
> If you do not tell me what you require of me, and then knock me for not
> meeting your expectations, you are not only being unethical, but you are
> being stupid.
Stupid, maybe, unethical, no.
> I don't see such a struggle in the present instance. I see a writer who was
> treated like a child. That's unethical. If you cannot see it, perhaps that
> is why you have so many horror stories about your employees.
Yes, they just won't respond to repeated beatings. $()(#* -at- +_ employees!
I see a writer treated like a lot of employees. Expectations are made and poorly
communicated. This is a common occurrence. No, its not ideal. But no place is
ideal. Every organization out there has problems. And either you learn how to
roll with the punches and work with people, or you wind up fighting the machine
and ultimately losing.
Andrew Plato
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