Ethics

[Ned Seagoon]

I was formerly employed as a teacher at a technical institute. Late last year I was informed that my contract, which expired in December, would not be renewed, as due to low student numbers the course I taught would be discontinued.

I have just seen that the institute is advertising for students in this course for 2006, so I took a look for job ads for the institute. There were none. So I looked in Googles cached files to find that there was an ad for a teacher, placed on 30 December with a closing date of 3 January, and the ad was removed from the web on 3 January.

I guess there was only one application, and that would have been from the person who knew that it was going to be there.

The institute is State Government owned and is required to publically advertise all positions. I guess there is nothing in the rules that say how long the ad must appear or that it can't be placed over the new year weekend.

I think that I'm better off not working for an organisation that has ethics like that. What do you think?

[Mr Bean]

Think that stinks a bit Ned

[IamOne]

me too cheer up have a cup of

[psi_overtake]

That's kind of how one of my uncles worked for k-mart for I think 24 years. If one works there for 25 years, I guess they give you some kind of retirement bonus, or at least some kind of really good bonus. But they fired him one year before 25 was reached. =/ I guess it's not the same ethics, but it's similar bad ethics. =(

[jmtjet]

That was sneaky to say the least. You got a raw deal Ned. I'm retired now, but my last two years I was on pins and needles knowing full well that if my employer got rid of me they would save a bunch of money on my retirement. I worked for the local government as a salaried employee. I was on a 20 year retirement plan. They watched me like a hawk hoping I'd screw up so I could be legally fired. I made it, but I know others who did not. One person had diabetes. The manager considered him a "health risk" and releast him for a very small enfraction of the rules. On my last day of work I went to the managers office and informed him this was my last day and he couldn't get me now. He said we'll see about that. They've messed with my health insurance ever since.(retired with full benefits) It's a pitty we have to live and work in an enviroment as hostile as we do. It's know wonder people go off their rocker and shoot up the office.

[renegade600]

there is always a possibility that the ad was also displayed in the local papers. Also there is a possibility that the position was needed at the very last minute and the position needed to be filled immediately. Without knowing the full circumstances its hard to say that it was unethical.

[Ned Seagoon]

Possible Dan, but I suspect not. I'll take a look to see if that is the case.

However as the place closes down during the Christmas New Year period, someone would have had to make a special effort to place it on the web and take it down again. Strange?

[Nick Grana]

That sucks. I'd go to the highest person and confirm this very unethical way to handle such a situation. If he confirms, I'd ask, "You sure must have small gonads to not inform me personally. Are you some kind of chicken shiite.
Do you even teach Ethics here? Well you can remove that class because no one is learning a dam thing from what I see."
Feel a little heat from these words? You ought to.
Let us know and good luck.
Nick

P.S. Maybe they are saving the good news for you that you are now being appointed to president of the school. Just dreaming.

[Sandlapper]

My wife has witnessed this sort of ethics from her job. Not to her, but she's seen it happen to others as their retirement closed in.

But thats what we're taught to do; to make money any way we can. Legally. And it seems that this type of ethics is legal because its nearly impossible to prove that thats what they're up to. And even if you can they have laws to protect them.

Caring for your fellow man doesn't seem to exist anymore. No where near like it used to. Every man for himself, full steam ahead.

A true shame, and it'll probably get worse before it gets any better.
Sorry to hear it happened to you Ned, I hope you can overcome this easy enough.

[Nick Grana]

Money is always the bottom line. Ethics not withstanding in this case.
But so many big companies that run into trouble have to get cash flow moving to survive. Since salaries are the biggest cash cow, they get sliced pretty quick first. Unfortunate but that's life.
When it comes to actions like this or Ned's prob, ethics go out the window and it's every man for himself. So sad.

[Ned Seagoon]

I've just found out a little more on this one.

A chap has been appointed, he was a former teacher at the institute who took a two year leave of absence about 5 years ago. He didn't return from this and resigned when the LOA expired. He taught with the present supervisor.

There was an advertisment in the local paper on Saturday 31 December. The girl who puts the advertisments in the paper went on leave on Friday 16 December, the day I finished up.

Draw you own conclusions, mine are that I have been shafted.

[Nick Grana]

Naw man. Chalk it up to you got the gold mine and they got the shaft.
What goes around comes around. Most times these things work out better than expected.
You will win in the end and they will suffer.

[Snurfen]

That is the worst type of cronyism. Local government in the UK (especialy education) is full of it.
I'd build the evidence and get a lawyer on it. Not sure of your laws down there, but you could absolutely kick the arse out of them here in the UK.

Good luck and I'm certainly thinking of you, you and the family must be bloody devastated.

[IamOne]

hope you find something soon good luck