May 9, 2010 at 8:00 am
This is a touchy situation. It may be that this is not the only software used illegaly by your company or that your manager is unaware of the license limitations.
Either way, ask for a one on one meeting with your manager and bing up the issue in a discreet, private way. Do not accuse or over-react or judge the situation. Just mention that you noticed that the software cannot be used in a production environment because of license limitations and ask for directions on what to do.
That is the extent of your responsibility. If you are not happy or satisfied with the manager's answers, just make up your mind if you want to continue working for the same company. Because if you do, then you have to steer away from the license topic or your manager will find out and take unfavorable actions
May 10, 2010 at 8:11 am
Look up whether you're in a one person taping state or not (can you lawfully record a conversation you have a speaking part in without informing the other person, or not), and if you are, evaluate if you'd like to bring a concealed audio recorder with you or not as a CYA in case of retaliation.
When you talk to your manager, bring a quick estimate of how much money it would take to properly license the software, as well as what kind of technical support that buys. If you really want, bring an alternate or two that might be cheaper and provide similar functionality.
But first; evaluate the corporate culture. Is violating licenses/contracts/ethics commonplace and accepted/encourages, or not?
May 10, 2010 at 11:06 am
Heh... forget all the legalities. Strap on a recording device and tell your manager "No" because it's against the law.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
May 10, 2010 at 11:13 am
Some good advice here, but if your boss won't listen, I think you ought to document your care in an email, and probably writing, and send it to your boss. Cover yourself.
Then I'd consider looking for another job. You can take it to your boss' boss, but that is likely to start ending your chances of continuing at that company. Maybe not, but if you go that route, I'd be prepared to move on.
And despite what Jeff says, don't record a conversation if you don't have the legal right. You might get yourself into more trouble for no reason. http://www.rcfp.org/taping/
May 10, 2010 at 11:58 am
Steve Jones - Editor (5/10/2010)
Some good advice here, but if your boss won't listen, I think you ought to document your care in an email, and probably writing, and send it to your boss. Cover yourself.Then I'd consider looking for another job. You can take it to your boss' boss, but that is likely to start ending your chances of continuing at that company. Maybe not, but if you go that route, I'd be prepared to move on.
And despite what Jeff says, don't record a conversation if you don't have the legal right. You might get yourself into more trouble for no reason. http://www.rcfp.org/taping/
You always have the right to record it when someone tells you to do something wrong.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
May 11, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Here are 2 real life stories; both while working at the same company as DBA.
1. I was asked by a project manager (via email) at a telco company to give a listing of customer information to her so she could create a small phone book for asome bridge club or something to sell as a fundraiser. I knew this was not allowed by government regulations. Of course, I stated that I could not give the information she sought for the reasons she should already know. The next week, a developer came to me to ask how to join to get some specific address information from one of our databases. I knew exactly where the request had come from and proceeded to book a meeting to get the issue resolved. After the meeting, I send out minutes and asked everyone to respond that they understood this information could not be given out for that specific purpose. I then went back and forwarded all of the email threads and meeting minutes and responses to my personal email account (gmail).
About 3 months later i was asked by a new BA to provide complete address information for customers in a very specific geographical region because engineering was doing an inventory of specific hardware at addresses in this region. All of the requests were done via email and I sent very detailed questions about exact data needed; all the responses were very clear. I created the reports and shipped off to the BA for approval. 4 weeks later, I got a very panicked call from a certain project manager asking me why I provided such detailed address information for the phone book she created. I kind of chuckled then proceeded to scour my email in and outboxes for those emails from the BA about the inventory check report and sent those to my gmail account as well.
The PM promptly told our CEO, CFO, and everyone she could email how it was my fault for providing the information, which she didn't even look at before sending to the community group to make the phone book. I was being gunned for by everyone in my company until I whipped out the series of emails I had forwarded to my personal email accounts.
Anyway, the company was fined heavily for breaking government regulations, they had to provide compensation for those customers which were supposed to have been unlisted (not a requirement for the inventory report), and i think even had to relocate a few undercover police officers whom addresses and names they listed.
I was completely backed by everyone after the truth came out ands the PM was fired.
2. I was asked by my boss in an email to alter a specific set of customers' billing information in one of databases. I promptly refused and, you guessed it, forwarded the email to my gmail account (with my refusal response). About, 2 months later I heard through the grapevine that there was an internal audit done on customer billing information and there were several irregularities being investigated. About 2 days after that, a little birdie who happened to be a sysadmin and my buddy, told me he "may" have been asked to delete some of my emails form the exchange server by someone he could not refuse.
Anyway, I was approached by HR, CFO, and CEO about who has access pother than me, they assumed no one, had access to the databases. I knew where this was going. I went to my boss and told him what was going on and that I under no circumstances would have changed data like that, to which he responded it must have been me. The next day I had another private conversation with my boss, printed copy of the request he had made of me in hand. I never heard about it again.
I quit very shortly after that.
All that story to tell you same as everyone else... there are very dishonest people out there who will throw you to the wolves if it means their neck our yours. GMAIL has a large capacity and hitting the forward button is very easy to do. Use it.
I don't know how anyone could work for someone like that, or company like that. if you confront your boss in a non threatening way and it was not just an innocent mistake, have some proof of your disapproval in a safe place and start your job search. Good Luck.
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