RE: Ethical dilemma

Subject: RE: Ethical dilemma
From: topsidefarm -at- mva -dot- net
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 06:56:50 -0600


> Once the poster made it his/her business to get involved, even if only to
> the extend of trying to find out what was going on, then she/he made
> her/himself a party and liable for involvement.
>
> However, if the poster had stayed out of it and intentionally avoided
> knowing anything about it one way or the other, then no, the poster would
> have been free from involvement.

Point well made, John, but it seems to assume that Annette intentionally
sought out this information. What is she to do when this information comes
to her? It's not always possible to "intentionally avoid knowing"
something.

In the situation that put me before the grand jury, it would have been
impossible for me, or any of the other six people in the group, not to see
what was going on. I didn't go looking for it, it found me, as a part of
my daily job function (I was in QC at the time). The government was so
adamant about this fact that the company was forced to fire two of the
people, demote two others, and suspend and demote the actual offender.
Only the two of us who reported the issue (independently and unbeknownst
to each other) came out of it with our tails intact. No, whistleblowers
aren't popular, but in this case, they weren't facing sanctions.

In my present position, I could easily face the same issue. My actual
position is Engineering Documentation Administrator. It's tech writing and
a whole lot more (actually one of the most fun jobs I've ever held). Among
the many side duties is to assist the project managers in data tracking.
This puts me in the position of being the first person to see any attempt
to cook the books, even before the project managers or the department VP.
And yes, we have a strict policy about reporting ethical violations. To
those with MYOB attitude I ask, "How do I mind my own business?" The fact
remains that many of us are put in these positions against our will, and
we have to make a decision.


> My comment about friendship was only to the extent that the poster called
> this person a friend and friends don't instigate knowing what the other
> person is doing. Instigate, fine...but don't involve the term friendship
> with it.

Who says that Annette is instigating, or that she is the betrayer of the
friendship? IF she went looking for this info, then yes she is. However, I
tend to view the other person as the betrayer. A person who would
intentionally cook the books and place a fellow employee in the position
of having to either cover it up or blow the whistle is the betrayer.

That being said, it is entirely possible that there is a justifiable
reason for what is going on. However, that reasonn has not been explained
to Annette. I believe there was mention that Annette's employer has an
ethics policy, so she would have to report this. Therefore, if management
gets mad at her for reporting it, that's management's problem. They can't
have their cake and eat it to. Either they want peole to report ethics
violations or they don't.

Jason A. Czekalski

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