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> "Bonnie Granat" wrote..
> >
> > I think the manager in question is behaving unprofessionally and I am
> > surprised that the person who suffers under such a manager feels he has
no
> > choice but to leave the field of technical writing.
> >
> > It's outrageous. Unless an employee has advance notice that drafts must
meet
> > a certain standard, and advance notice that the manager may
surreptitiously
> > read one's drafts, the employee in question has a valid and serious
gripe
> > that I think he should take up with his manager's manager.
>
> He has that warning...now. The boss has clearly told him that the
roughness of
> his drafts is unacceptable. Therefore, he needs to turn in more polished
drafts.
>
He needs to discuss this matter with his manager and determine what the
manager wants, yes.
> > It is unethical to examine a document as if it were the work product
without
> > notifying the employee that drafts are going to be so viewed.
>
> No. It wrong to fold your arms and fail to listen to the advice the boss
is
> giving.
I am talking only about the initial act of the manager of taking the draft
without letting the writer know. I see that I must now state clearly that I
am not advocating not listening to the boss, for any who have just tuned in.
If you consistently turn in drafts that the boss says are unacceptable -
> and refuse to change - then the problem is you, not the boss. The boss has
made
> his expectations clear. If you won't fulfil those expectations, then off
you go.
>
That is not the issue I am talking about.
> > It really *is* a question of ethics, to me.
>
> No it really isn't. Its a question of doing your job and adapting your
work
> habits to your environment. I fail to see an "ethical dilemma" here at
all -
> except maybe that the writer is not listening to his boss.
>
It is an ethical issue if a writer is hired and not told *all* the terms of
employment and what is expected.
There's really no question about this among professionals in the workplace.
If you hire me, and you surprise me, you are guilty of being unethical in
your behavior toward me.
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