Is Posting Dilbert Cartoons Ethical? 9

[Haf]

Starting a few months ago, someone has been posting Dilbert cartoons in the men's restrooms in our building. I'm a big Dilbert fan and found the cartoons very funny. In fact, I still laugh when I re-read some of them for the 50th time.

One of the recent postings hit a little too close to home for our management. In fact, the cartoon was altered so that it was directly applicable to recent management actions. The cartoon was quickly removed by our management (I never even saw it), with a warning to boot. The specific concern was that the cartoon would portray a bad image to outsiders that visited our facility, especially to outsiders that are aware of these recent management actions. It is notable that all of the other cartoons were left in place.

This incident got me thinking - Is anonomously posting cartoons in public areas at work ethical? Does it depend on the cartoon and/or the motive?

 

[DarthSoilsGuy]

so... Haf.

What's the cartoon?

 

[Ashereng]

Posting a Dilbert cartoon may be against company policy?

If it is not against policy, and you post one that you bought (and not photocopied or otherwise illegally obtained) then it should be good.

Editing and posting anything, is probably treated as if someone typed something up and posted it on a bulletin. It would once again fall under company policy regarding such posting.

At most large companies, ALL postings require prior approval (including the stamp at the bottom) before it can be put up.

Is it unethical? That is not the point. It may be against company policy.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
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[Qshake]

KENAT - Put that can of paint down! Or at least get a ski mask!!

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Qshake

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[csd72]

All my ethics are based on Dilbert!

 

[fel3]

Is posting Dilbert cartoons ethical? H**L, I think it's mandatory

Fred

 

[Jordonlaw]

A previous boss of mine used to read The Dilbert Principle and come out and discuss points with others; only time I saw him smile.

I too used to post modified cartoons and the like even when I was office manager for a while. If you can't laugh at yourself you shouldn't laught at others.

 

[epoisses]

What I don't like about the situation in the OP is the fact the cartoons were posted in the restroom. I don't like the guerilla aspect of it. If you have guts and have something to say, post it in your own office.

Freedom of speech, sure, but if anyone is free to post something in a public place like the restroom, anyone including management can take it away without owing explanation to anyone else. The reason of the company's image to visitors is a perfectly valid one.

Anyway Dilbert is great fun (I used to have them on my office walls as well), but the abundant presence of Dilbert cartoons in people's offices is an obvious sign of the company being doomed, and should be food for thought for management. After all it's only a symptom of something more fundamental.

 

[RARWOOD]

Regardless of whether the posting of the cartoon is illeagal or unethical, the action of posting the cartoon is un professional.

 

[KENAT]

Why is it that whenever professionalism is brought up on this forum it's basically used as a reason to take whatever your employer decides to dish out and not complain/stand up for yourself.

They may be denying you freedom of expression, or in other threads making you work long hours or making life miserable in some other way but the professional thing seems to be to suck it up and take it.

I suppose the professional thing to do if it causes you concern is just find alternative employment.

Now in this case I can see the employers point, as I’ve posted before, but I get sick and tired of professionalism being used as an excuse for employers to treat us poorly without any comeback

Sorry RARSWC, nothing personal.


KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[monkeydog]

One more tangent off of that,

Why is it when you work during you days off, call into telcons during your vacation, it is expected behavior or you are called "dedicated".

If you insist on taking vacation and not work during that time, or refuse to travel just to make some manager or director happy, you told you are not a team player?

 

[GregLocock]

monkeydog - maybe because those seem like reasonable observations?

A team player puts the team's priorities ahead of his own, and a dedicated person might well waste their spare time working. I am astonished to hear that any company flies people just to keep managers happy.

Personally, I get 2 hours pay if they phone me at home, and five hundred bucks plus time in lieu if they make me fly at weekends. I do, twice a month, participate in overseas conference calls from home, so call me dedicated.





Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[jmw]

I'm with you Kenat.
If it is unprofessional then I am beyond the pale.
We didn't have Dilbert or anything like (well Andy Cap I suppose)so I drew my own which proved quite popular.

Naturally enough, I did over do with one effort but even then, management didn't over-react. In fact they enjoyed most of them and some managers went so far as to collect the ones that were directed at them.... no, don't mean they took them down as soon as they appeared, they genuinely collected them (I wasn't a rebel all the time..... and especially not at that company which was in its last throws of being a family company of the old style where the workforce had been there man and boy since god were a lad, well since it was founded 200 years before).

One of the biggest criticisms of any company is a lack of communication.
Usually this is discovered when the consultants come in e.g. the Investors in People guys who then discover that it is a management problem and not, as management thought, a worker problem.
This is mostly because management usually consists of handing down edicts but not listening to what bubbles up from below. They don't consult and they don;t discuss.

Cartoons etc. are one of the less disturbing ways for the work force to communicate back and managers should take note (actually some of them could learn more from Dilbert about managing than from their company management handbooks).

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[monkeydog]

Greg,

It is true. I can kill 3 days on travel, for a 1 day on site visit, for something that would take 2 hours on the phone with photos/drawings/diagrams in hand. Managers and directers can then report up the food chain "Yea, we have Monkeydog flying out to the vendor to get this problem resolved." I can push-back but eventually that trip is going to be made. Best I can do is work with the vendor on the phone until the problem is solved, then go out to review the final resolution - that does not always work.

If I got paid for the home phone calls, that would be easier to swallow, and paid for travel time outside of business hours? Wow.

 

[epoisses]

If management wants people to fly or make phone calls in their own time because of some urgent reason, but refuses to face the (modest) cost associated with that in the form of overtime pay, then WHO is not dedicated..?

 

[RARWOOD]

KNET

The requirement to act professional, applies to both the employee & the employer. Professionalism doesn't preclude you from standing up for yourself or from complaining.

Acting professionally means that you are acting in accord with a standard of conduct. Most companies have employee standards that the employee's are expected to follow. Our conduct can also be govern by federal or state laws. For example sexual harassment is illegal, even if an employer believes its acceptable. Also Registered Engineers usually are bound to follow registration laws and other standard of conduct.

However the fact that some employer's act in an unprofessional manner doesn't relieve us of our responsiblity to act in a professional manner.

We also act in a professional manner because it reflects on our character.

In the case of the person who posted the Dilbert cartoon, the question needs to be asked how would that person feel in his employer posted cartoons about himself.

 

[KENAT]

As some of this has got a little off track...

thread732-196326

May be a better place to belly ache, sorry I mean share opinions on the matter;-)

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[FACS]

As I get older, I find it best to read the cartoons, and keep them to myself. If someone else wants to read Dilbert, they can go buy a copy.

Anything not business related is best left in the briefcase, desk drawer or at home.

And, if you don't like management, then go buy your own business.


Charlie

http://www.facsco.com

 

[josephv]

Charlie makes a good point.

On another note, I like Dilbert cartoons, but the joke is on the person who posted the cartoon in the washroom. Because if you think about it, he believes his company resembles a Dilbert company, yet he chooses to work there.

 

[KENAT]

You mean you found somewhere without any Dilber tendancies.

Please share so we can all flood it with our resumes;-).

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[josephv]

Hmmm.... good point, Kenat

Unfortunately, I don't know of such a place.

Star for you.