Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 October 2005 13:10:27
The one thing I love about working with US companies is the way they introduce meaninless policy. ignore it and then hold "days" to highlight the policy.
Today is Integrity Day at my customer's site. Mega Huge American Conglomerate are one of the 4 largest capitalist, oppresive, manipulating, profitmongers in the known universe. Thankfully, as a contractor, I'm immune from having too take part. One of the excuses for this is that someone on site needs to be kept immune to such things. Translated this means that I can do the things that they shouldn't.
Now don't get me wrong.... I'm not involved in evil plots to overthrow unfriendly governments, that was a previous role I had but now do in my spare time. What it really means is that I ship their products too countries with whom they are not always allowed to deal; or prepare documents with lower values than may otherwise be warranted.
In addition, my boss seems too have the integrity of a very large prehistoric beast with very small hands. Even for a supporter of a non "friendly" political party, I have qualms about my boss' desire to put profit above everything else. I think that Paul had him in mind when he warned of the love money being the root of evil.
As a bribe to get people involved they have promised that the people with the highest scores, in the subsequent quiz, will win an Ipod. Now too me the very thought of giving people such an over rated piece of kit is an integrity issue.
Then I got too thinking, something I'm not allowed too do to much of since I married. What exactly does inegrity mean to these people. The company still lies to cover its own back; overcharges customers; squeezes suppliers till the pips squeak; and they introduce revised credit terms without negotiation or telling anyone.
From my viewpoint it looks like the integrity policy is a way for the to pretend that they keep a clean ship, while turning a blind eye to what actually goes on. Their integrity does not mean anything other than a piece of paper they can hide behind if they get found out.