Ethical Challenges

[Jack Napalm]

Never quit a job without having another. It is a lot easier to get a job when you still have one from a new employers view. It is also not so easy on the savings account.

I understand that fully and I am not going in Monday morning and dropping the bomb but they day may come sooner rather than later that I'll say I had enough.


For anyone interested you can get some limited insight into what I have been going through here.

http://confederateddissolution.blogspot.com/

[Wayniac]

Hey man - my co has the same policy.. I ALWAYS made myself available as reference to people who worked for me when it was time for them to leave.
I always made it clear to the person asking that I was doing it as a personal reference NOT a professional one... that way i was representing MY opinion and not the companies... I have also given honest less than rave reviews when the employee was a slacker
You did the right thing
Good luck.

[Rich#6]

I understand that fully and I am not going in Monday morning and dropping the bomb but they day may come sooner rather than later that I'll say I had enough

At least now you have someone who can return the favor and give you a good reference since you company won't!
Good luck!

[442w30]

I have always read those poicies as a CYA for the company if you don't want to provide a + review. If someone is hassling you over a positive review, then they are looking for reasons to hang you.

The policy could also be helpful if you were going to say that "He was a great worker because he always picked up the work that the lazy black guy, the jew, and the woman wouldn't do."

You may think that's ridiculous, but HR probably wants to be sure communications that are seen outside the company are reviewed first to avoid some idiot saying stupid, illegal, or racist/sexist things.

If you feel like it's more than a "you shoulnd't have done that w/o going through us", then it's probably either someone's time of the month, or a witchhunt.

[El_Kabong]

FWiW, I was in deeper than Bill and beyond Serpico on the real, though I do not exist.

[charvelguy]

I believe the instrument for commiting corporate seppuku is a montblanc.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

HR is not your friend. You are just a number to them. They do not have ethics. They will screw anyone to prevent legal actions, right or wrong.

[Strat God]

Corporate bullshit.
You can do whatever you want on your own time. If you wish to offer a positive reference after 5pm, they can do nothing. They fear a negative reference from a management position within their business because it creates exposure for litigation against the company.

That is a tangible corporate fear and I believe it's justified. Just work around it and keep your mouth shut. I wouldn't post on this anymore either.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

Corporate bullshit.
You can do whatever you want on your own time. If you wish to offer a positive reference after 5pm, they can do nothing.

That is not really true. Example is like banging the hot office asst. after hours, or buying drinks for the crew after work. In management, you represent the company 24/7. There are issues even if you get married to someone who works for a rival company. Even if a vendor offers you a gift or pays for a round of golf and dinner, you could get screwed.

[charvelguy]

That doesn't just apply to management either.. random drug testing IS a deterent, thereby controlling your actions outside of the workplace against recreational useage of weed or even alcohol IF they were deem it an excess.

Some companies are more internally lax than others of course. We had an employee who had 6 yr+ invested.. when our company was bought out the policies changed to reflect the new and the memo came out for random drug tests, he obviously did not heed it, was tested, failed and fired. However, the company managed to bend the rules to hire him back..fully reinstated, benefits, vacation & pay eventually all was as previously.
An act I was somewhat surprised by.

Now were getting real time cams installed.

[straycat]

I saw that same thing at IBM if you helped someone in a different department or talked to them away from work your ass got canned.
You did what you did for a good reason don't beat yourself up over it.If they find out so what, if they don't thats a good thing.

[charvelguy]

.

[joshulator]

My company actually explained the policy to us on our first day of work. Like most policies, it exists because of a previous situation. The situation happened at a different company. An employee of that company had been fired for specific reasons. I believe it was some sort of child care company and the employee had abused a child in some fashion. I don't know if that is fact or my imagination filling in the blanks. Anyway, the fired employee applied for a job at a different company. Another employee at the original company, who was not aware of why the person in question had been fired, gave a glowing review. Needless to say the individual got hired, and a short time later did the same thing at the new company (I think abused another child). Once everything got out in the open the new company sued the original company over the reference. Clearly they would not have hired the employee had they had all the facts.

Be that as it may, I've always wondered what I would do if I was asked for a reference. That's a tough situation.