What are you thoughts on..

[susan silva]

http://www.deskdemon.com/dnet/link.php?user=susan&link_id=53  There is a trial going on in NY for US Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno.   They have called his EA of over 24 to testify.   As many top EAs do she handled many personal details as well.   If you have a minute read the article then answer these questions:

What do you think about her being called to testify? What would you do?   What do you think of the whole situation ethically?  You do your job day to day, maintain your ethics, how would you react to being called in to testify on a boss you have / had?

[peaches2160]

If something does not seem on the up and up, I would immediately discuss the matter with my boss.  If he insisted I do it, and I knew it was not ethical or against policy, I would discuss it with his boss.  We have values at our company every employee is expected to live by. Honesty and Integrity is at the top of the list.  If I were called to testify on a matter, I would have no choice but to tell what I know.  However, by not doing it in the first place, one would not find themselves in that situation.  Fortunately, I work for an honest and ethical man and would not find myself in that situation.  He may have his faults, breaks everything he touches, runs late, ......but adhering to policy and not bending the rules is not one of them.  He is tough on his direct reports in those matters as well.

[officepa]

I agree with Peaches - if ever asked to do something against company policy, I would flag it up to my boss and make it known to him/her that I was against carrying it out.

Have never been in such a situation as every boss I have worked for has been honest and had total integrity and instilled this in staff too.  Therefore if called to testify, would feel comfortable telling it as it was as I know nothing would be untoward to my knowledge.  Hopefully this would never arise.

Peaches - do you work for an old boss of mine?!!  Breaks everything he touches, runs late, restaurants run out of food as soon as he sits down but the guest he was with was served.......... and so on and so on 

[Cathy S]

I agree with you both - asked to do anything unethical or against policy I would initially flag that that was the case with the person asking me to do it.

If they insisted I go ahead I would get their instructions on e-mail first, flag it with other appropriate persons in the company (whether that be their boss or an Ethics team).

I had an example a year ago - young boss had been dining with a potential supplier and then negotiated an incredible discount.  Even though they already had a contract with us I would not process the purchase order until our Procurement Department had cleared it in writing.  I didn't deal with Procurement, he did - how much he told them I don't know, but they had the opportunity to ask all their questions and by confirming to me in writing that they were satisfied I had covered both myself and the boss.

If I was called to testify I would do so and tell the truth as I knew it backed up with any documentation I had acquired.

[gee4]

Couldn't access the link in work so just getting round to replying.  Not sure if I am missing something but who is accused here?  The boss or his PA?

Patricia Stackrow, who took the stand on Monday in Bruno’s federal corruption trial, testified under immunity, and shocked the courtroom when she said she took the money in “retaliation”...

Bruno, 80, is charged with scheming to defraud the state and its citizens...

What do you think about her being called to testify?
Acceptable.  She managed his affairs so had first-hand knowledge.

What would you do?
Personally, I would not want that level of responsibility in any job so doubt I would be put in that situation.

What do you think of the whole situation ethically? 
Ethically individuals must account for their own actions.

You do your job day to day, maintain your ethics, how would you react to being called in to testify on a boss you have / had?
It would only bother me if I thought I would lose my job.

[sanpet]

I would hate to be put in that situation.  I do what I can to keep my ethics, but if you are working for someone unethical, something may sneak pass as innocent.  Like insider trading, all it takes is a simple comment at the wrong time wrong place.  But then you are accountable only for what you do.  I have never heard of these case but the one being accused is the boss.

[peaches2160]

Cathy 17 - LOL!  His situations add color to my day.  I never know what I will have to handle or fix for him.  I love it!

[msmarieh]

One of the key factors in this situation is that her boss was NOT working for a typical company.

In my past I have had a variety of bosses.

I did have a boss that was unethical who asked me to do illegal things (I refused). I quit working for him.

I had a boss that was extremely ethical overall, but still had pockets of grey behavior (in my opinion), primarily related to things like nepotism - when is it hiring someone you know well to do a job you believe they can do versus just giving preference to a family member/family member's business? What about when it becomes a part of EVERY business transaction from charitable giving to serving as officers on boards of the LLCs you form to every type of service you hire? Many of these wealthy individuals will only hire from within their own little circles (the old boys network, sons of their friends, etc.)

With both of these bosses, I handled ALL their finances - gathering data for their tax/legal forms for their businesses and their personal finances. I knew every element of their life - every number they had - account numbers, pin numbers, credit card numbers, social security, birthdays for them and their families, etc. I certainly never took a cent from their money, but I certainly could have fairly easily in a number of ways. There's no question it is a very high degree of responsibility.

The key factors about these two bosses, which matches the news story, is that I was working for wealthy independent entrepreneur businessmen, and not "traditional" companies. No HR group, no legal counsel, etc.

My current position / boss are working for the Federal Government, so there is a huge difference. This boss is one of the most ethical I have EVER seen and extremely aware that he is being a steward of taxpayer dollars, right down to submitting his check for $1.12 for personal phone calls on his cell phone bill.