Caught in the middle

WALEXANDER

Recently I have been placed in a situation, where I had to send a letter to the Regional Director regarding a significant member of management. All too often our company is involved in inconsistent administration of company policies. In the latest scenario, illegal practices were involved. I explained the law and the potential liability if we continued to act in the inappropriate manner. In spite of my advise, the infraction was still committed. As a result, I reported the infraction to the Regional Director. My intentions were not to "tell" on management. I just absolutely refuse to engage in any illegal practice. This has sparked a series of unrelated questions regarding other improprieties. I feel like I am caught in the middle. I realize that I have certain fiduciary responsibilities, but where does it begin and ends.

System

That's a tough situation. I commend you for wanting to do the right thing. I'd worry if there's a chance that you personally could be sued or charged with a crime. If this is a real possibility, you should definitely talk with a lawyer.

Here's a discussion that might help:
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/employersforum/DCForumID14/1008.html[/url]

James Sokolowski
Senior Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers

Gillian

Document everything that occurs so that you won't get blamed if things go bad, as they sometimes do. I've been through this. I and the person to whom I reported the conduct formed a team to fix the mess and we came out on top, but I was prepared with my defense in case it didn't.