LoginMoral question
VIP Moderator
Prelude
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 19:52 - Situation: I'm in the automotive industry, and I get along great with the CEO of the company. Been to his house many times, he's been to mine for some beer, we shoot the shit about all topics. He's the big cheese, the one that owns 4 other companies in town. But the head manager (my boss) of where I work at is a total prick and has had it out for me for last few years. Me and him simply hate each other. Not a good work situation. And now that economy is going to the craps, and some discussion is going around about downsizing, I wouldnt put it past him if he considered me as an expense he would like to cut. Now my ace up my sleeve is the fact I'm friends with the CEO, but he doesnt have say or control over personal hiring and firing.
Now here's my question. I'm designer at the company, but also run all the IT stuff. And by a glitch in settings, I ended up getting a bunch of the boss's (the one i hate) email forwarded to an admin account. Out of curiosity, I peaked in there to see if my name came up (i like to be pro-active, not re-active), but instead I found some rather personal and incriminating emails between boss and some woman he's seeing on the side (who is NOT his wife).
If you were in my shoes, would you save those emails / print them off, and perhaps use them on a dark rainy day as blackmail of sorts? Any laws I'm breaking if I do this? Company doesnt have any policy for privacy of company's email.
Now here's my question. I'm designer at the company, but also run all the IT stuff. And by a glitch in settings, I ended up getting a bunch of the boss's (the one i hate) email forwarded to an admin account. Out of curiosity, I peaked in there to see if my name came up (i like to be pro-active, not re-active), but instead I found some rather personal and incriminating emails between boss and some woman he's seeing on the side (who is NOT his wife).
If you were in my shoes, would you save those emails / print them off, and perhaps use them on a dark rainy day as blackmail of sorts? Any laws I'm breaking if I do this? Company doesnt have any policy for privacy of company's email.
silent killer
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 21:24 - If you have to ask whether it's legal or not, it probably is. But since the deed has been done, I'd keep the incriminating emails, and squirrel them away for a rainy day. Although, honestly if I did something like this I wouldn't leave a trail. Like asking a forum.
Devious Phenomenon
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 21:43 - I have to agree with Silent on this, he answered every part of it
Technically, it's illegal, but honestly, he'd have no proof(Print the files off, save them to disks, but don't save them on the computer, it can be checked for deleted files if it's that serious)
But you should probably save them.
And yes, that isn't the best idea(Asking a forum) about stuff like that... I'd advise the deletion of this thread
Technically, it's illegal, but honestly, he'd have no proof(Print the files off, save them to disks, but don't save them on the computer, it can be checked for deleted files if it's that serious)
But you should probably save them.
And yes, that isn't the best idea(Asking a forum) about stuff like that... I'd advise the deletion of this thread
Deleted user
Deleted
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 21:45 - You have to accept when at work that despite your professional competence personal politics will always enter the equation & despite good work that you do the personal will always always triumph over the professional. It's a case of it's who you know not what you know wins every time. This is true of every workplace.
Now you are buddies with the big cheese, heck you've drunk his beer he's drunk your beer, that's a friendship made in heaven mate. Start to cultivate this friendship, don't go out of your way to lick his arse like but just simply be friendly invite him to any gatherings you might be planning, suggest a night on the tiles tec.
Of course you must keep these mails you uncovered as leverage because if your boss the asswipe you say he is then it's guaranteed that at some point he'll have it in for you. Keep a record of every meeting you have with him & the things that are discussed, if possible make sure there's always someone else present so you can corroborate any claims & most importantly play your boss's game back at him. Let him know, not explicitly of course, maybe drop in a few subtle remarks during conversation, that you 'know something about him', let him try & guess what it is. This will make him nervous & less likely to cause problems for you. If he thinks that causing problems for you will in turn cause problems for himself he's less likely to get on your case.
Most importantly always be polite & courteous to him never giving him any excuse to challenge your behavior towards him. All the while if you cultivate your friendship with the main man you can drop in coded messages about your own boss in order to generate uncertainty in the big cheese's mind about your bosses suitability & ability.
It's all mind games.
Now you are buddies with the big cheese, heck you've drunk his beer he's drunk your beer, that's a friendship made in heaven mate. Start to cultivate this friendship, don't go out of your way to lick his arse like but just simply be friendly invite him to any gatherings you might be planning, suggest a night on the tiles tec.
Of course you must keep these mails you uncovered as leverage because if your boss the asswipe you say he is then it's guaranteed that at some point he'll have it in for you. Keep a record of every meeting you have with him & the things that are discussed, if possible make sure there's always someone else present so you can corroborate any claims & most importantly play your boss's game back at him. Let him know, not explicitly of course, maybe drop in a few subtle remarks during conversation, that you 'know something about him', let him try & guess what it is. This will make him nervous & less likely to cause problems for you. If he thinks that causing problems for you will in turn cause problems for himself he's less likely to get on your case.
Most importantly always be polite & courteous to him never giving him any excuse to challenge your behavior towards him. All the while if you cultivate your friendship with the main man you can drop in coded messages about your own boss in order to generate uncertainty in the big cheese's mind about your bosses suitability & ability.
It's all mind games.
Devious Phenomenon
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 21:53 - Escafeld, I'm honestly beginning to worry... that is the thought of a rather dark genius... That's like Hitler without the mass murder, instead just the psychological manipulation... That's the thought of someone who would make a criminal genius...
TEACH ME!!!
(Lol)
TEACH ME!!!
(Lol)
Deleted user
Deleted
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 21:58 - Don't you dare tell my wife!!!
Deleted user
Deleted
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 23:17 - I can't seriously see you getting anywhere with this. So he decides he wants to sack you, and you go "I know you are having an affair" he reports you for trying to blackmail him and splits up with his wife for the woman he is cheating on her with. You wind up alone and jobless feeling like a maniac and probably in trouble for trying to blackmail your employer.
Devious Phenomenon
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 23:34 - Lol GA,
RB6K, it doesn't really always go that way, the guy might not be nearly that calm about it, especially if you use Escafeld's mind games
of course, blackmail has led to dangerous stuff before(Or maybe I've watched too much CSI and Law and Order and NCIS :P)
RB6K, it doesn't really always go that way, the guy might not be nearly that calm about it, especially if you use Escafeld's mind games
of course, blackmail has led to dangerous stuff before(Or maybe I've watched too much CSI and Law and Order and NCIS :P)
VIP
Bael
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 12 23:49 - well, working in IT business for 15 years now i can only tell you: don't do it. regardless the law, at the latest when you try to blackmail him it will be illegal.
but still you can get even with him: as a dutiful employee you officially report your boss a glitch in the system and show him the mails that were forwarded erroneously to the admin account. tell him that you - of course - didn't read the content of the mails, because, as a dutiful admin you would never do such a thing, and remind him of fixing his settings so something like this doesn't happen again.
best would be if you do so by mail, so if he tries anything funny you still could prove that you were following the rules.
benefit of all this: you don't dirty your hands, you officially reacted correctly AND your boss knows exactly that you know about his dirty little secret (with him being unable to touch you at all).
but still you can get even with him: as a dutiful employee you officially report your boss a glitch in the system and show him the mails that were forwarded erroneously to the admin account. tell him that you - of course - didn't read the content of the mails, because, as a dutiful admin you would never do such a thing, and remind him of fixing his settings so something like this doesn't happen again.
best would be if you do so by mail, so if he tries anything funny you still could prove that you were following the rules.
benefit of all this: you don't dirty your hands, you officially reacted correctly AND your boss knows exactly that you know about his dirty little secret (with him being unable to touch you at all).
silent killer
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 13 1:24 - I can't seriously see you getting anywhere with this.At the very least, if he does get sacked and not use them as leverage he can let everyone in the office know what's going on. Start it as a rumor, eventually it'll get around to the parties involved and then let things fall where they may. Leave the boss with a present of sorts. That's what I'd do atleast. It doesn't get you anywhere, but by then it wouldn't matter.
VIP Moderator Prelude
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 13 13:21 - Thanks guys. I love escafeld's 'vision'. I'm not worried about public forum, since I'm not going into details and names, and there is no association between this website and my workplace whatsoever.
I dont wish to make it personal, but the asswipe already made it personal. I went thru a split with my wife early last year, and am now divorced, but I feel it has made me a stronger individual. My life has never been better now that my ex is out of picture. I tried to keep it personal but that boss eventually found out thru grapevine and gave me strong impression that he's worried that my personal life is directly co-related with any errors that have occurred -- you know, the typical fuckups we all do in workplace. We all have good days and bad days, but to associate every imperfection in my work performance with my personal family life, he has crossed that line first.
I was toying with the idea of 'leaking' it as rumor without any association to myself, and let it play itself out. But assholes under stress can make unpredictable decisions. I prefer more ordered and controllable chaos. ;-)
Bael, your advice is very interesting as well. He'd know I 'know', but I didnt once make it a blackmail issue, so basically I would have showed him how well stacked my cards are without him knowing I'm playing a game with him.
I dont wish to make it personal, but the asswipe already made it personal. I went thru a split with my wife early last year, and am now divorced, but I feel it has made me a stronger individual. My life has never been better now that my ex is out of picture. I tried to keep it personal but that boss eventually found out thru grapevine and gave me strong impression that he's worried that my personal life is directly co-related with any errors that have occurred -- you know, the typical fuckups we all do in workplace. We all have good days and bad days, but to associate every imperfection in my work performance with my personal family life, he has crossed that line first.
I was toying with the idea of 'leaking' it as rumor without any association to myself, and let it play itself out. But assholes under stress can make unpredictable decisions. I prefer more ordered and controllable chaos. ;-)
Bael, your advice is very interesting as well. He'd know I 'know', but I didnt once make it a blackmail issue, so basically I would have showed him how well stacked my cards are without him knowing I'm playing a game with him.
VIP Moderator Prelude
16 years, 2 months ago at Mar 13 13:23 - of course, blackmail has led to dangerous stuff before(Or maybe I've watched too much CSI and Law and Order and NCIS :P)
LOL.. that's why I posted this moral dilemma here. I figure the lot of you have great imagination with all the movies and tv shows you've all watched. But then again, I dont wish to have a laser scope on my forehead after the boss, seeking revenge, hires a sniper assassin to take me out. :-D