Work question -- need advice...

[greenfreak]

Let me setup the scene here...

I've mentioned my boss before. He pretty much does nothing around here, stole a laptop a while back, takes my tools/computers/surge protectors off of my work bench and doesn't bring them back, treats me with little or no respect, and coddles my supervisor who also does nothing.

About a month ago, after interrupting a conference call I was on with a user and Dell, he hands me a hard drive, tells me it's his personal HD from home, and that he wants me to install Windows 2000 on it and give it back to him by the end of the day.

Because I do 99% of the work in my department (that's not an exaggeration) and my supervisor who is supposed to be helping me does nothing, I gave the hard drive to him to do. He did it wrong, of course, and the next day my boss brought in the entire computer for him to redo. But it served my purpose--not to get into a discussion of ethics with him.

Today, my boss comes to me and tells me that someone on our Help Desk bought a personal computer for home. He then informed me he wanted me to install our company applications on her pc when it arrives here from Dell. I made a joke that I was going to start charging them for my time and he laughed and walked away.

Now... Here's the thing. I do have a problem with this, obviously or I wouldn't need advice. But I thought, if another friend of mine at work said they were having a problem with their personal computer, I would offer my help. I don't think that I would install company software because then I become liable. We don't really keep track of licenses here but it still makes me uneasy. I would probably take their computer home with me and do it there so I'm not using company time for something that isn't work related.

But what do I do? I'm trying not to let my negative feelings towards him dictate what I do here. I also know if I do this, the help desk person (who is useless when it comes to doing their job) will come to me for help on their personal computer whenever they need it. I don't want to do this. I had an idea that I would tell my boss that I'll do it if he puts it in an email and sends it to me because then my responsibility is absolved and I have proof. I was being told to do it by my boss.

I don't know. He could always get my supervisor to do it, so it's not like it won't get done. What do you think? I really don't think this guy is worth challenging my morals, I just don't know how to tell him that with a minimal amount of fallout.

 

[Luis G]

Suggest them that you can do it at your house, but you will charge them

 

[Shadowfax]

say that you either want written on paper that your boss wanted you to install the personal property of one of his employees, or that you will install it at your house, and charge them.

first situation you can't be held responsible, and it would have been (a weird) part of your job, in the second situation you take your chances, but at least you'll get paid..

installing computers is work, and shouldn't be done for free, unlike most people think

 

[Luis G]

agree, just because you have the knowledge and you can do it easy, it doesn't mean that it is something not worth paying.

 

[greenfreak]

Funny, I was just talking to Rusty, telling him the deal and I got a new email from my boss. Yesterday, he asked me about remote access to our network for our users from home, and asked me to just send him an email about it. I wrote the email with a professional tone, thinking he was going to forward my email to everyone. He copied all of my comments into his own email and sent it as if he had come up with it himself.

Rusty had a good point though. He said that the system guys at his old job were expected to do things like that, but used it as a bargaining chip later to get things they normally wouldn't. They said they had to 'play the game' or be on the outside. I've never played the game, and it's a source of pride for me but now I'm wondering if I'm just hurting myself by not being 'one of the guys'. Shit, I hate these morality issues.

 

[trinity2]

I also agree with getting something in writing.
Now, I am assuming that there are people higher on the corporate ladder than your "Boss" in this company. And if that is the case, tell him outright that you don't feel comfortable putting company software on this computer, so he will have to get your immediate supervisor to perform this task.
It seems to me that the people you mention in your thread would bury you in a second if a situation happened in your department.
Good Luck!

 

[ris]

give it to your supervisor, then if the shit goes down the boss will have to coddle him right out the door.

 

[samcurry]

Hey greenie,
we have a set policy here. Nothing goes out without approval.
The only software we really have that is legit for a enduser to have on a home machine is solidworks. they informed us that it was within the license that a user could have it on a home and work machine.
Our policy is this. we will install it. But under no circumstances will we work on any other part of the computer. And it has to have the matching specs before the install. Plus they do not get the cd or a copy of it. If their comp crashes they have to get someone to fix it on their own time and there is a charge for it.
Saves me alot of headache.

We recently switched to using a VPN for all the reps with a laptop from us. that way they already have all the corp. software installed.

 

[AlladinSane]

Take a tape recorder with you and tell him you're not going to do that. Record the whole conversation

 

[kuulani]

Talk to nalani, she's in a similar situation. People here are always asking her to help them with their 'puters, fixing stuff, installing stuff, formatting stuff ... and in the beginning it was all fine and dandy. Now they EXPECT her to do it, like its her job to be doing their crap.

So now, instead of concentrating on what she needs to get done, she has all this extra functions, 'cause the people around here - some of them higher in office rank, though not necessarily her bosses - expect that she'll put everything aside and do what they want her to do.

 

[tommyj27]

i would refuse to do it purely on an ethical basis, nevermind the fact that they're gonna be right back in your cube when they f**k it up after about 2 seconds.

 

[PT]

Well, that's a tough one, Greenie. I know I have done stuff that wasn't quite right to get on the good side of a boss, so I certainly wouldn't judge you for doing the same. On the other hand, you are talking legal ramifications here, however unlikely that they are ever enforced, they are still there. I'd have to go with the Email idea, just be nonchalant about it, perhaps Email him confirming which software HE wanted you to install on their machine, and save both yours and his. Then you don't have to confront him, but you still have your evidence. Just be careful with your language.

On the other note, about your boss taking your email and making it his. That sucks. Big time. I once had a person take a rather complex spreadsheet I had designed in Excel and claim it as theirs, I got justification there though, as Excel keeps track of the original author, and a few of the people that got it noticed.

 

[Professur]

I've a similar problem, GF. I've carved a niche for myself that's deep enough that the new bosses can't pry me out of it. But at the same time, it means that I've not moving up either.

Try this. Tell your boss that you're having trouble keeping the priorities straight on all the stuff you're having to do. And if they'd be so kind as to send all their demands by email, or by form. I did that and the amount of 'extra' stuff dropped of dramatically. Expescially since there would be a paper trail. And make it obvious that you're keeping copies. This won't endear you to the higher ups, but it does protect you.

But if I were you, I'd set that supervisor up for a fall. Shouldn't be too difficult. And with a little care, you can make it that the boss either has to take the crap himself, or sacrafice the super. It's been my experience that people who look down their noses often trip over the smallest things. Stuff like software license audits.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Let me setup the scene here...

I've mentioned my boss before. He pretty much does nothing around here, stole a laptop a while back, takes my tools/computers/surge protectors off of my work bench and doesn't bring them back, treats me with little or no respect, and coddles my supervisor who also does nothing.

About a month ago, after interrupting a conference call I was on with a user and Dell, he hands me a hard drive, tells me it's his personal HD from home, and that he wants me to install Windows 2000 on it and give it back to him by the end of the day.

Because I do 99% of the work in my department (that's not an exaggeration) and my supervisor who is supposed to be helping me does nothing, I gave the hard drive to him to do. He did it wrong, of course, and the next day my boss brought in the entire computer for him to redo. But it served my purpose--not to get into a discussion of ethics with him.

Today, my boss comes to me and tells me that someone on our Help Desk bought a personal computer for home. He then informed me he wanted me to install our company applications on her pc when it arrives here from Dell. I made a joke that I was going to start charging them for my time and he laughed and walked away.

Now... Here's the thing. I do have a problem with this, obviously or I wouldn't need advice. But I thought, if another friend of mine at work said they were having a problem with their personal computer, I would offer my help. I don't think that I would install company software because then I become liable. We don't really keep track of licenses here but it still makes me uneasy. I would probably take their computer home with me and do it there so I'm not using company time for something that isn't work related.

But what do I do? I'm trying not to let my negative feelings towards him dictate what I do here. I also know if I do this, the help desk person (who is useless when it comes to doing their job) will come to me for help on their personal computer whenever they need it. I don't want to do this. I had an idea that I would tell my boss that I'll do it if he puts it in an email and sends it to me because then my responsibility is absolved and I have proof. I was being told to do it by my boss.

I don't know. He could always get my supervisor to do it, so it's not like it won't get done. What do you think? I really don't think this guy is worth challenging my morals, I just don't know how to tell him that with a minimal amount of fallout.

Wow. For starters, see if you can find your licensing agreements. Does your license extend to a home PC that could, presumably, be used for work purposes? I can legally install any program I have at work on my home comp because our license gives the USAF permission to do just that...provided my use of that software is work-related If your licensing agreement does not give permission for that purpose, then let your boss know the facts...including penalties if this person gets caught, fired, or vindictive. Without knowing more about your licensing agreement with M$, and whatever other companies you have software from, I can't give a good, honest judgement.

 

[greenfreak]

Great stuff guys. Thank goodness I have some time to figure all this out. If I had to act on this right away I probably would have gotten overly miffed and that doesn't help me at all.

As far as licensing goes, here's a little tidbit. We have a program we rolled out year before last called Citrix. It's a Metaframe program that logs all our users on to our central 50+ servers. All the apps anyone needs is in there. Email, word, excel, etc.

When we did this, we left the individual copies of MS Office on all the pc's. After a year, someone figured out that having one user using MS Office both on their local desktop and in Citrix constituted a license agreement violation. This past summer, I visited every pc in every branch to remove those programs. That was the main reason for my three month road trips.

Even though the only people who really keep track of licenses is our Networking department, if the shit hit the fan, I know my boss would be looking for someone else to blame. The more I think of this, the more I want him to put it in writing.

Prof, he already does put all the extra stuff in email, most of the time. Someone will send him an email asking how we're doing on our company-wide computer upgrades, he'll send it to me and ask how we're doing, and I've started to reply to the original sender and cc my boss. Many people know that I'm the driving force behind anything that gets done in my department so they start calling/emailing me directly.

It's like anarchy around here-there's lawlessness abound. He doesn't care who has the most work, or the least, as long as it's getting done. But if I started acting like my sup does, you just *know* the crap that would rain down on me. But my personal work ethic wouldn't allow me to do that. Morals be damned!!

I think I'm going to have to approach him, tell him because of the company's efforts to get the licensing up to snuff, I would appreciate it if he could just send me an email that he would like me to install our company software on her personal pc. That, although my supervisor is comfortable with that kind of situation (he's the one that did it for my boss), that I'm not all that comfortable with it. That I'll do it, of course, but I would like him to release me from my (guilt? responsibility? morality?) at the same time. It's kind of halfway between the two extremes.

 

[PT]

 

[HomeLAN]

I think Prof's got the answer. His way, you get it in writing, the fact that they have to write it down cuts the load, and you get off the hook without having to have a major showdown with your boss.

 

[greenfreak]

I think I just got reeeeeeeeally lucky today.

I saw the help desk person and she was eyeing my new HP Deskjet 3320 printer and she said, "Oh, I'm going to have to get one of these now too." and I said, yes, but they're not all that expensive (so she doesn't think she's getting *my* printer). I asked her when her computer was coming in and she said the 23rd.

I'm off on the 23rd!

I took vacation days on Monday and Tuesday for a 5 day weekend. I told her I would tell my supervisor so he can help her out. HAHAHAHAHAH!!

Talk about killing two birds with one stone!! I don't have to say anything about this to my boss AND I get to force my supervisor to do something he doesn't want to do!

The only way this is going to be a problem is if it doesn't come in on the 23rd or 24th. Then I'm back where I started.

Another question though... Should I send an email to my supervisor saying, "Just wanted to let you know that since I won't be here on the 23rd or 24th, Debbie will need you to configure the computer she ordered from Dell when it arrives. Tim had asked me to do it but I won't be here."

THEN I definitely have it in writing and I'm totally absolved.

What do you think?

 

[Q]

 

[Gato_Solo]

1. Get the boss' request in writing. Make sure you voice your concerns first, though. If he won't spell out what he wants, then don't do the work.
2. That e-mail for Debbie is a good idea, but make it sound a little more 'spiffy'...ie...

Debbie's new computer will be here on the 23rd or 24th of December, and I will not be available to upgrade and integrate the system into our network. As she needs this system up and running when she returns, it becomes necessary for you to establish her account.

Remember, Greenie...even though I don't use it often, tact beats a sharp stick in the gut.