Pursue Disciplinary Action?

[KENAT]

An engineer here arbitrarily downloaded an updated version of our main CAD software. In doing so he converted at least one major assembly to the new version so others were unable to open it.

We’re holding off going to the newer version because we have concerns over the impact on performance on some older machines, it’s not just that we’re dragging our feet etc.

We had a file back up from a few days ago however, we did lose some work.

I’ve had minor issues with this engineer before but with a lot of tongue biting have normally got through it.

I don’t see any ethical issue with my pushing for disciplinary action against him, may make me unpopular/target for next layoffs but not unethical.

Does anyone here see an ethics issue with it?

I ask because I posted before about someone bringing up violations of procedures/policies/laws to get rid of someone that was making their life hell and several posters thought is was weaseley/shrew like etc.

Now in this case my main reason isn’t my personal feelings for the person but what he did in this particular incident, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t in the back of my mind.

What do you reckon?


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

 

[MikeHalloran]

The dialog went something like this:

>File|Open|A.sldxx
>Opening A.sldxx
>File|Close
>Do you want to update A.sldxx?
No.
>Closing A.sldxx
>File|Open|B.sldxx
>Opening B.sldxx
>File|Close
>Do you want to update B.sldxx?
No.
>Closing B.sldxx
>Updating A.sldxx <<<< Yikes!
... and so on.

I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but the message about updating a file that I thought had already been safely closed came at a time that made no sense whatsoever, but the behavior was consistent.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[WGJ]

Does your company use ISO9000/9001 as a base for controlling its internal procedures? That might help, although in a full application it might hinder as well.

The company I work in has 'corporate loads' for its PC and workstation software setups and no machine will run executable files without the correct administration rights being used. That might stop some of the fooling around.

Bill

 

[Tomfh]

You're clearly just looking for an excuse to stick the knife in because you don't like the guy.

I consider that unethical.

 

[PSE]

If you are his boss, the choice is yours as to whether and in what way (within company policy) to discipline. If you are on a peer level with this person, it is not your call. Pushing for disciplinary action against a peer can backfire upon you as the boss will not likely enjoy seeing their authority challenged. Kenat, as you indicate in your initial post, it may be ethical to push for disciplinary action, but it may also have career limiting ramifications for doing so. Remember, the person responsible for your career is you.

The "best" scenario I could perceive would be to have for the boss, if requested or needed, documentation as to how much this error cost the company in terms of man-hours to fix, subsequent impact on project schedule etc. If you were part of the group that restored the error, this could be captured in a report and submitted to the boss. Now the boss has documentation to support disciplinary action decisions. The individual does not have to be named in the report, simply provide a description of the error cause, steps taken to fix, and subsequent costs in doing so.

Regards,

 

[PeterStock]

Create the report that PSE suggested and use it as proof that loading or updating software should be done by IT only.

Peter Stockhausen
Pollak Switching Products

 

[SomptingGuy]

This sounds a bit like the common IT vs users problem. IT should be responsible for dictating which versions of software users are using. It's common for users to know better and upgrade themselves. Or for software vendors to push Beta's on users which then get past the in-place systems and used for real work. Ultimately it's a QA issue.

 

[eliebl]

At my previous employer they had things locked down so tight that about all you could do was change the background. It was inconvenient but there were few if any computer problems.

My new employer (3 months now) has things pretty open but they will not hesitate to wipe a computer and re-image it if something has been installed that causes problems.

A software upgrade is the responsibility of IT and not the user. At they very least there should be an inquiry sent to IT when something wants to upgrade itself. A good example is Acrobat Reader.

My 2 1/2 cents.

EJL

 

[KENAT]

Well thanks all, even the opinions I didnt' really want to hear;-)!

WGJ, no 9001, my boss was explicitly told not to even consider taking us that route. I've worked 9001 before though so understand what you mean.

Tomfh you must have the patience/virtue of a saint.

I'm trying hard to pull my personal feelings out of it, actually I've been away on business with this guy and got on fine as long as we steered away from the one or two contentious work related issues.

However, when I worked till 12:00 last night, mainly as a result of the delays/disruption this caused and may have to miss a meeting this morning to catch up more, which is apparantly upsetting my boss, then I'm finding it difficult.


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

 

[Dinosaur]

I'd get someone to document the circumstances and the cost to the company in time to get back to where you were before. Then I'd give the guy a copy of that and tell him a coopy is goin to be placed in his personnel file. The message is, be more careful or you will start to see it show up in your yearly eval.

I work in a right to work state and you can be fired by the boss for no reason whatever.

 

[KENAT]

I spoke to my manager this morning to explain the the impact.

I'm also missing a big meeting meeting about introducing PDM/PLM this morning on the basis I need to get something finished for this afternoon and I lost a lot of time yesterday. Hopefully this will bring attention to the fact I'm not making it up exagerating.

That said my boss isn't optimistic anything is going to get done to/about the guy/situation (I know I'm shocked) so I guess I'll have to go back to biting my tongue.

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

 

[jmw]

Sounds like that old, old situation where by job security lies not in being good and effective but in the converse. In fact, the greater the liability, the greater the cost to the business, the more secure some people seem to be.
Oh well, never mind.

Actually, there are times when I wish I could be a complete F***up then I would have no worries and could look forward to a place on the board. As it is, half ****d F***ups and genuine errors don't do it.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[civilperson]

Start this fight with the knowledge that you can lose.

 

[MedicineEng]

My suggestions:
-As others suggested, put money in your claims. How much did this cost in $$? Today everybody will remember that you stayed until 12.00 to clean his mess. If you are sucessfull in solving this, in 3 months time nobody will remember. Say that his error cost in direct cost XUSD and in indirect costs YUSD(delays, complaints from clients, etc.)will have more impact.
-Change you IT policy saying taht any download even for demo/testing purposes will have to be formally approved by IT. The absence to get this approval will lead to a disciplinary action;
-Cut/restrict his access to internet for a couple of months, if feasible, for him to suffer a bit;
-Distribute him one of the old PCs. Like that if he ever downloads anything then he will not be able to use it anyway.

 

[Tomfh]

Don't start a war over nothing. If you present a report shwoing how he cost the company XYZ, then he will retaliate in some way you haven't thought of.

 

[KENAT]

jmw, sometimes I think the same thing.

Medicine Eng, thanks for the suggestions, it's not gonna happen but I like the way you think;-)

Tomfh/civil, I fear he already started the war long ago but I've repeatedly done my best to minimize it/get along hence the tongue biting.

This time I really feel the effect is significant but I guess management don't feel the same way so I'm not going to push it any further.

However, after my managers concerns about me working too hard/too many hours/burning out I sure won't be cleaning up the mess next time, or if I do I guess my projects will have to slip.

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

 

[DRC1]

Is your boss not this guy's boss? Corperate policy does not forsee every possible circumstance. The guy did something dumb that may have been premeditated to force the company to adopt something others in a higher position have decided not to for good reason. You and others have observed similar behavior in the past. Your boss needs to talk to his boss about this. He should be told that what he did was dumb, that it has happened in the past and if he continues to try to work around the system, he willl be asked to leave. Disruptive people are generally not an asset to the work force.
By the way, you don't have to like the guy if he is an arrogant jerk. That may have something to do with why you don't like him. However you do have to work with him. It is not your problem to fix (I assume, so don't fix it). Likewise, If he does screw up, somebody needs to make a choice between having you fix his project or finishing your own. As long as you are willing to fix his problems on your own time, the company's problem is minimized. Don't make their problem your problem.

 

[PeterStock]

Do you charge your time by the project? If so charge the time for correcting the problem to his project.

Peter Stockhausen
Pollak Switching Products

 

[KENAT]

By boss isn't his boss. His boss wasn't around when we discovered it but my boss spoke to his boss's boss.

It was one of those situations where missing my deadline, which was affected by his actions, would have caused more grief than my fixing the problem, especially as he was out the day it happened and my colleague who was helping fix it went home sick.

However, in future, stuff it. If it goes south again I'll make it clear to my manager what the situation is and let him explicitly make the decision.

The time will be charged to the project, though they don't track it that close.

Anyway it's now at the point where my saying or doing anymore will just make my life difficult so like it or not I'm dropping it. Another reason not to stay at my current employer though.

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