The SHIELD -Major screw up by me- 2 people fired

[Knightrider03m]

For future pictures, don't tell anyone you have them and don't let anyone know of knowledge about them until afterwards. I know a few people in the auto business and get passed some sensitive information and/or pictures. I just keep my mouth shut.

 

[Moonman]

We'll see how it eventually turns out.

Corporate America did think it was a big deal, therefore the terminations.

Sometimes employees regain their employment after a period of time, sometimes not.

If S&W could prove they were damaged by your actions in the social media, you could possibly find
yourself held liable for damages to them. Basically you've self admitted what and where you did it to the world already.

 

[Rule3]

As mentioned by several others, from the info given, I do not think it is your "fault"

The S&W employees should not have shown it to you if they were not supposed to.

Just like any other job, if information or a product is confidential then the person who releases it is at fault, the rest is just fall out.

 

[jamesph]

It is "good intenstion" that cause the most damage. What if this had been your company and your employees has allowed a "trusted friend" into a sensitive area?? I would be willing to guess these two employes had signed confidentiality agreements when hired and knew the end result of a breach of trust.. Be glad S&W hasn't brought charges against you for industrial espionage..

 

[Erich]

They should have just moved those boys to marketing, since all the two days of your photo did was generate a furious buzz here on the web. When I saw it (apparently right after it hit the web), I thought that it was leaked by S&W.

Sure took the wind out of the sails of those Croatian boys with their XDs vaporware . . .

 

[Maximumbob54]

Sounds to me like some high up uppity up in marketing got pissed that all their efforts at the ridiculous show a bit here and there until release day was out’ed by a cell phone pic posted on the internet. The reality is that the various gun forums likely generated more sales than that lame-o "Shield yourself" ad campaign did. But when the ivory tower types get angry, heads will roll. That's just life working in a corporation. Business long ago became a bureaucracy unto itself and all the wheels and cogs have become expendable. Any employee should know to protect themselves against being tosses aside, and showing off the do not touch stuff should be a very easy one to obey and not be kicked out from the Garden of Eden.

 

[Moonman]

Many corporate executives act like and live in a world of being treated like God. Given their wrath they can prove to people and make examples of some that they are.

The corporate world can be a ruthless and vindictive one, I spent decades in the envioroment of a major Fortune 500 one.

 

[Sprefix]

I'm not to judge. That being said, I hope all parties took a great lesson from this. Blessings.....................Sprefix

 

[kent11202]

I have some experience in this area so here's my 2 cents.

What the employees did was stupid, wrong and most assuredly against company policy - no defensible "excuse" exists other than unmitigated stupidity.

Now, if they were actually terminated, and the termination is subsequently challenged, S&W will be placed in the position of supporting their election to terminate passes the "reasonable man" test.

Among other things, they will have to show how the company was "injured" by the release of said photographs.

If the employees were long-term and had clean records up to this point, it might be difficult, absent proof of actual monetary damages, to support termination was fair and equitable.

In fact, as someone else noted, sharing the pictures might have actually helped to stir up interest/demand ahead of the release although proving so would be difficult to impossible to prove.

These kind of cases are never as simple as one would think. it can be like putting together a jelly puzzle.

I know if I was Mr. Debney (CEO, President and Director) I would not be a happy camper by ANY stretch of the imagination. As has been said, "Trust, like virginity, once lost is never regained" so it's a a steep hill to climb when to comes to taking these guys back.

This matter will be discussed at great length by management, human resources and, likely, legal counsel.

If these guys are long-term with clean records, I wouldn't be surprise if they end up with a 30-day suspension and, possible a demotion and reassignment to a less sensitive area.

for what it's worth..........

 

[ladder13]

Jack, you manned up, I have utmost respect for you.

 

[sideways]

That punishment is as excessive as throwing Tony Rocky Horror out of a third-story window.

Did he give her a foot massage or not.
I wonder if S&W is hiring?If you cannot do what is expected of you at your job then there is a thousand folks standing in line behind you that will. If I cannot trust you I don't need you, it sounds harsh but having a decent job in todays world is not a given and there are rules to everything .

 

[forresth]

I can see canning people responsible for letting the cat out of the bag early. They were going for this "super secret game changer" type marketing scheme, and spent a great deal of money on it. That marketing scheme was blown by your carelessness and the disregard these people showed for a company secret.

What I think that type of marketing is worth is irrelevant to the fact that it was to be a closely held company secret.

Do you want some private in the Pentagon deciding what secrets really should be secrets? This isn't all that much different. At least they only got canned. I bet it could get much worse for them if the top brass really wanted them to suffer. For 1 thing, I can guarantee they signed some paperwork to the effect of "I wont spill the beans"

ps. even had the photos not leaked, your blabbing about seeing and holding the SHIELD should have been enough to get these people canned.

 

[KarmannGhia]

While I admire the OPs willingness to "Take the Hit" for the leak. As someone who held a TS clearance, I can see the need to keep info/details/photos under raps. If this had been the military, you can bet there would have been consequences. I feel bad for anyone that just lost their job (especially in this economy), these things happen.

 

[Ltlbear]

Now, if they were actually terminated, and the termination is subsequently challenged, S&W will be placed in the position of supporting their election to terminate passes the "reasonable man" test.

Among other things, they will have to show how the company was "injured" by the release of said photographs.

If the employees were long-term and had clean records up to this point, it might be difficult, absent proof of actual monetary damages, to support termination was fair and equitable.

Not if it is an employ at will state.
You can get fired for just showing up to work. No excuse needed and MA does not have an implied Contract Law either, so they can fire at will for no reason.

They screwed up, violated company trust, they go. Period.

 

[Faulkner]

Trust is not something to be trivialized. This specific issue may or may not be a big deal in some folks eyes, but I would certainly have a hard time sharing in the future with anyone who was involved in this situation. Once trust is violated, it's hard to get back.

As a LE command staff member in my department, I have terminated employees for violation of trust. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[fourXfour]

They need to re-think their policy. They should have had anyone who saw it sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

To the best of my knowledge, they do this with the media. Take gunblast for example, he has a video review of Ruger products the day they are announced. The items are in distributor's inventory and are shipped the day of the release to customers.

No leaked photos or early rumors. This doesn't work on trust, this works on the threat of legal action.

 

[mrerick]

Also, never forget that the Internet may just be the biggest potential invasion of privacy (personal and corporate) ever invented.

What you place here and elsewhere can have amazing ramifications...

If the employees were under a "non disclosure" agreement, I'd have terminated them too. Your actions (especially if you knew about the marketing campaign, or were told that their actions were improper or sensitive) could have earned you some financial liability as well.

These companies are so competitive that they consider it all "hardball". Their marketing campaign had a cost, and actions that impact it's effectiveness may have cost the company in market positioning.

I'd hate to even have to defend a lawsuit in this area, much less lose one...

Marc

 

[gregintenn]

It doesn't sound to me like you do anything wrong. If the guys weren't supposed to show the gun and did, they violated trust. That would be big to me.

My boss is smarter than their's. If he has something he doesn't want anyone to know about, he doesn't let me know about it either!

Sorry to say your post here will not do much good, as the Smith and Wesson people obviously never peruse this site. If they did, they'd have gotten out of the lock business and back in the revolver business some time ago.

 

[handejector]

PS I think ANY S&W semiauto other than a Mod 41, Mod 52 and their 1911's are a piece of ****. I have owned Mod 39's and a Mod 59 by the way, and shot most of the others... Pieces of ****, IMHO.

Duhhhhhhh
I don't suppose you know that the 52 is a direct outgrowth of the 39.
The early 52's used the 39 lockwork and were even double action, but there was a set screw that locked out the DA by not allowing the trigger to go that far forward. Back the set screw out, and you have a DA Mod 52 (no dash).

PS I think ANY S&W semiauto other than a Mod 41, Mod 52 and their 1911's are a piece of ****. I have owned Mod 39's and a Mod 59 by the way, and shot most of the others... Pieces of ****, IMHO.

Back in the Day it was Colt or Browning for Semiautos, S&W for Revolvers.

Today even the S&W revolvers are pieces of ****, look at how many have to go back, look at how many crack the frame, how many have barrels off center...

Maybe they should fire the TOP TEN BOSSES...

And hire a real Pistolario to be their No1...

Maybe you'd be happier somewhere else looking at things that pleased you more........
Don't let us slow ya down.

Now, let's resume the original topic.

 

[Denver Dick]

The question I have, turbo38gn, is did the two employees know that you were taking a photo? If they did, then I'm not feeling real sorry for them. Had a really good customer only been allowed to "sneak a peek," none of this would have happen. If you took the photo without them knowing . . . well . . . that's something else . . .