Issue at the office...

...I'm a little uncomfortable with the way management is treating some employees (regarding a change I had to make to the PBX just now)...my manager just asked me, I suspect at the request of the CEO (he called from the CEO's office), to do something a little too underhanded for my liking. The worst part was when I had to go to the person's desk to reboot the phone and lie to their face. It would be best to keep this job, being my first real job and a fairly decent one, but if things really get too nasty for my liking I could get another job, and replacing me would be a bit on the difficult (or expensive) side. I really don't want to say too much but I was asked to secretly reroute some calls to a person widely known for slacking off. On the other hand, I know that this person has been getting some abusive phone calls from a personal contact, but then why would the rerouting be kept a secret?

Another related incident: a few days ago, I accidentally forwarded a message from the abusive caller that came to my phone, to the CEO's phone. Within a minute or so I'd deleted it (phew!), but I think the CEO might have heard the message...in which case it would be known who the message was meant for.

Think I should try to discuss this underhandedness and my discomfort with it with my manager or not? He almost certainly had no say in it, but I don't know how he'll like it if I want to discuss such a thing. I'm a little on his bad side right now, for my reports being late. I often get distracted from writing about work by silly things like doing work.

Tough call. In today's corporate world, you can forget about any privacy in the workplace - you're likely to be monitored in anything you do. You just happen to be the person stuck doing it in this case.

OTOH, as a manager, I believe in full-disclosure to my employees - unless it just can't be done due to confidentiallity and/or competitive reasons.

Finding an environment & culture you're happy working within is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If this place isn't it, start looking for someplace else.

There are reasons for things which seem underhanded. I was in the middle of a sexual harassment claim (no, it wasn't me but one of the employees involved worked for me) and to protect all involved it was necessary to reschdule one employee to minimal hours when the other employee was not at work while the claim was being investigated. We had no proof from either side, so had I told this individual why there would have been a tremendous problem. No, I didn't like it but it was a neccessary call.

Yet another reason I'm not enthusiastic about being management.

OK I got a little more info on what's going on...the person's calls are being sent to reception because they're never there to answer the phone...that's all I know.

Do you have an HR person or other neutral party at your company who you could talk to? It might help to voice your concerns with someone like that in your company. If it's a large enough organization, there should be formal channels for this sort of thing.

I've figured out what's going on...my manager said something about the receptionists "keeping records" of the calls going through...they want to forward all calls to this person's phone via the receptionists to get statistics on the number of calls that are answered...

I could talk to someone in HR about this but there's a good chance they don't know about it...and at least I know now that nothing really bad's going on. Heck all the calls placed/received/missed records are stored in a log file on the PBX, I could have written a little app to get some statistics quickly. I'm still not too happy they're doing this behind the person's back (then again, I don't know if they've been warned about not answering calls before) but I think I can live with it.

Instead of spying on the employee they could have simply told him call responce rate would be monitered. A lot of people have trouble finding the motivation to work if no one is looking. The cult of secrecy in managment is a great way to have a bunch of angry employees. You were angry and you were not even the target of managment.

I'm not suggesting talking to HR because they know and understand the situation. I'm suggesting you talk to HR because you're uncomfortable with a management practice. If you're uncomfortable with it, other people probably are as well.

Hmm I see your point...I've been thinking of going to HR for a while since I read your post. If I do go to HR, It will be obvious who blew the whistle and I'll be seen as untrustworthy by pretty much all of management. However when word of this gets out, as the person who manages the phone system, I'll be seen as untrustworthy by everyone except top-tier management.

Wow I'm boned.

But you're not blowing the whistle. You're raising a concern within internal channels. I don't think I'd want to work for a boss/company that won't let you discuss concerns through established internal channels that are in place for you to discuss your concerns.

You're not going over your bosses head. You're not going outside the company. You're going sideways to another department that exists to handle exactly this sort of thing.

And you're not that boned. You're covering your ass. If there ends up being an issue, you're on the record as having stated that you're not 100% comfortable.

Edit: Chances are everything is Kosher. It's not your job to determine if it is or not, that's HR's job. So you bring this to HR's attention, they check on things diplomatically and sign off on them. You can stop worrying about them and get back to work.

GameboyRMH wrote: ...I'll be seen as untrustworthy by everyone except top-tier management.

The one's who are signing your paychecks...right?

It sounds to me like you're doing your job. Some things you won't be comfortable with, but it's the nature of your job (it seems to me). I wouldn't feel bad about what your doing based on the description you've given.

It doesn't ask like they're asking you to lie or do anything illegal.

That's just one take...

Clem

I don't want to seem like a jerk, but you need to remember who you work for. You work for the company. So far as you're concerned, your immediate superior and/or the CEO are the company. And the phone belongs to the company.

You've been instructed through proper channels as to how the company wants their phone to operate. If you don't like it; find a new job. However, there's nothing illegal (or even immoral) about what you've been asked to do.

GlennS wrote: Instead of spying on the employee they could have simply told him call responce rate would be monitered. A lot of people have trouble finding the motivation to work if no one is looking. The cult of secrecy in managment is a great way to have a bunch of angry employees. You were angry and you were not even the target of managment.

If that really worked alot of my job would be eliminated. We have guys that know we are always watching them and they still try to avoid work. We just fired a guy who decised he was going to take a second and third lunch break during his day and make up time by driving an empty bus up and down the line. He had been warned twice he was being watched.

jeez, I wish your supervisors would come down to D.C. Main reason I don't ride public transportation too much anymore is the piggy-backing they constantly do on main routes. 40-50 minutes between buses and then 4 at a time creating a rolling roadblock.