Monumental work cockups

[zedx19]

sebhaque said:

Wonder if anybody here works at the same company as me?

We had an email go out this morning about a system upgrade or something similar. A couple of people replied to all requesting to be removed from the distribution list, before the entire email trail degenerated into memes and light-hearted humour (one woman offered everybody a grape from her lunch and a bloke was asking the email chain to donate to his Movember campaign). I was discussing the high quality of the memes being posted by the people participating in this chain with another colleague.

While highly amusing, if a little irritating, someone eventually reported all 215 people on the email train to HR (including those that hadn't done anything) and I received a phone call that afternoon from a rather stern lady asking if they could speak to one of the more popular contributors to the chain.

Lol screenshots of the decent memes please!

[Countdown]

Vaud said:

fesuvious said:

The waste was disgusting. I haven't mentioned that we all discussed at length the absurdity of what we were doing, and how much we were being paid.

Project Manager was billing £400 per day simply as a retainer, to be 'available'.

I saw two hot-tubs get delivered to the site, one in the name of the Project Manager and the other in the name of the boss of the trust.

Never saw those hot-tubs installed on site.

No anonymous whistle blower process?

For future you could always set up a nameless email account and email the chairman of the board or the chair of the audit & risk committee. It's the kind of thing they do want to know about it...

It seems odd that Hot Tubs would be delivered to site if they were dodgy. It's even more odd that they would be delivered "in the name of the project manager and the CEO". And it's very odd that Fesuvious knows WHOSE name they were delivered in, unless he was GIC and saw the delivery notes.

For a start it means that you'd have to get them moved again to the home of the Project Manager / Trust Chief Exec or wherever they were going to be installed.Secondly it opens up loads of questions from staff who sign for receipt of these "hot tubs" (I.e. What are they for? Are they on the PO or contract? If not how do we confirm goods receipt?). I worked in internal audit in the NHS and there are (or used to be) quite a few scams. Most of them came to light when colleagues reported it, either anonymously or as part of disciplinary proceedings. And tbh it's far easier to bribe people with cash than to offer them knock off hot tubs.

As Vaud suggests the whistleblower policy should be used. Not only does it help to remove corrupt people, it acts as a deterrent to others.

Edited by Countdown on Wednesday 16th November 09:28

[conkerman]

I watched this unfold at the time. It was wonderful.

http://gawker.com/oil-giant-struck-by-globe-spanni...

[316Mining]

Countdown said:

Vaud said:

fesuvious said:

The waste was disgusting. I haven't mentioned that we all discussed at length the absurdity of what we were doing, and how much we were being paid.

Project Manager was billing £400 per day simply as a retainer, to be 'available'.

I saw two hot-tubs get delivered to the site, one in the name of the Project Manager and the other in the name of the boss of the trust.

Never saw those hot-tubs installed on site.

No anonymous whistle blower process?

For future you could always set up a nameless email account and email the chairman of the board or the chair of the audit & risk committee. It's the kind of thing they do want to know about it...

It seems odd that Hot Tubs would be delivered to site if they were dodgy. It's even more odd that they would be delivered "in the name of the project manager and the CEO". And it's very odd that Fesuvious knows WHOSE name they were delivered in, unless he was GIC and saw the delivery notes.

For a start it means that you'd have to get them moved again to the home of the Project Manager / Trust Chief Exec or wherever they were going to be installed.Secondly it opens up loads of questions from staff who sign for receipt of these "hot tubs" (I.e. What are they for? Are they on the PO or contract? If not how do we confirm goods receipt?). I worked in internal audit in the NHS and there are (or used to be) quite a few scams. Most of them came to light when colleagues reported it, either anonymously or as part of disciplinary proceedings. And tbh it's far easier to bribe people with cash than to offer them knock off hot tubs.

As Vaud suggests the whistleblower policy should be used. Not only does it help to remove corrupt people, it acts as a deterrent to others.

Edited by Countdown on Wednesday 16th November 09:28

Hot tubs = birthing pools.

Sounds like a story that's been exaggerated.

[Mr. H]

Just read this one on BBC news website.

"French boat sinks in Devon Harbour due to language difficulties"

[Don]

conkerman said:

I watched this unfold at the time. It was wonderful.

http://gawker.com/oil-giant-struck-by-globe-spanni...

The UK Porsche Club managed to do one. They'd accidentally cc'd the membership instead of bcc'ing them. Oh the RAGE!

[nellyleelephant]

Finding this quite annoying!

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/damaged-gas-mai...

[Floptimus Prime]

Don said:

conkerman said:

I watched this unfold at the time. It was wonderful.

http://gawker.com/oil-giant-struck-by-globe-spanni...

The UK Porsche Club managed to do one. They'd accidentally cc'd the membership instead of bcc'ing them. Oh the RAGE!

Not being an I.T person, can anyone explain why the email software code can't be modified to prevent this from happening?

[Don]

Floptimus Prime said:

Don said:

conkerman said:

I watched this unfold at the time. It was wonderful.

http://gawker.com/oil-giant-struck-by-globe-spanni...

The UK Porsche Club managed to do one. They'd accidentally cc'd the membership instead of bcc'ing them. Oh the RAGE!

Not being an I.T person, can anyone explain why the email software code can't be modified to prevent this from happening?

Same reason knives are sharp. You want to cut stuff, it needs to be sharp, but that also means you can cut off your finger. Did you want to be able to cut stuff?

Basically that.

[316Mining]

Don said:

Floptimus Prime said:

Don said:

conkerman said:

I watched this unfold at the time. It was wonderful.

http://gawker.com/oil-giant-struck-by-globe-spanni...

The UK Porsche Club managed to do one. They'd accidentally cc'd the membership instead of bcc'ing them. Oh the RAGE!

Not being an I.T person, can anyone explain why the email software code can't be modified to prevent this from happening?

Same reason knives are sharp. You want to cut stuff, it needs to be sharp, but that also means you can cut off your finger. Did you want to be able to cut stuff?

Basically that.

A decent company policy would ensure that only a very select trusted set of people would have the ability to send to a global distribution list. Unfortunately some of these people still make the odd cock up. Then you release the genie from the bottle allowing reply to all.

[Don]

316Mining said:

A decent company policy would ensure that only a very select trusted set of people would have the ability to send to a global distribution list. Unfortunately some of these people still make the odd cock up. Then you release the genie from the bottle allowing reply to all.

With great power comes great responsibility etc.

[Koofler]

nellyleelephant said:

Finding this quite annoying!

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/damaged-gas-mai...

O/T but just how much advertising can you fit on one web page??!?

[conkerman]

316Mining said:

A decent company policy would ensure that only a very select trusted set of people would have the ability to send to a global distribution list. Unfortunately some of these people still make the odd cock up. Then you release the genie from the bottle allowing reply to all.

It wasn't a global email though. It was a distribution list (albeit quite a big one)

It would still be going on now if it was a Global mail list.

[Countdown]

If you're giving somebody a bribe then, unless you're a complete amateur, you would have to be pretty stupid to send the bribe to their place of work addressed to them personally.

ETA - best way to bribe a procurement or contracts manager (depending on the size of the contract)

Throw in extra goods FOC (eg buy 10 HP printers, get 2 free)
Throw in food hampers, boxes of chocolates,for each order over a certain value
Send the procurement/Contract Managers crates of whisky at Xmas
Invites to sports events (Old Trafford, Wimbledon, Lords)
Give them massive discounts on work for private work (driveways, fencing, kitchen extension)
Free invites to "conferences" in Barbados, the maldives, Singapore, Dubai (usually including a +1)

Bribes can range from stuff that can be justified as "Corporate hospitality" at the lower end, to out and out cash payments into the wife/mistress's bank account.

Edited by Countdown on Friday 18th November 18:20

[DJFish]

Are we sure 'höt tûb' isn't Welsh for 'birthing pool'?

We have a very robust bribery policy at work, not that I ever get bungs any more....

[Vaud]

Countdown said:

If you're giving somebody a bribe then, unless you're a complete amateur, you would have to be pretty stupid to send the bribe to their place of work addressed to them personally.

ETA - best way to bribe a procurement or contracts manager (depending on the size of the contract)

Throw in extra goods FOC (eg buy 10 HP printers, get 2 free)
Throw in food hampers, boxes of chocolates,for each order over a certain value
Send the procurement/Contract Managers crates of whisky at Xmas
Invites to sports events (Old Trafford, Wimbledon, Lords)
Give them massive discounts on work for private work (driveways, fencing, kitchen extension)
Free invites to "conferences" in Barbados, the maldives, Singapore, Dubai (usually including a +1)

Bribes can range from stuff that can be justified as "Corporate hospitality" at the lower end, to out and out cash payments into the wife/mistress's bank account.

Edited by Countdown on Friday 18th November 18:20

For most companies these days accepting those would be a dismissible offence.... (and rightly so)

[Super Slo Mo]

I found out quite recently that the wife of a television director for one of the uk's major broadcasters was on the payroll at a former employer of mine. This would be late 90's/early 00's.
It was something like a £25k a year 'job', which was basically a bribe to ensure we continued to get a specific contract.

[dxg]

Vaud said:

Countdown said:

If you're giving somebody a bribe then, unless you're a complete amateur, you would have to be pretty stupid to send the bribe to their place of work addressed to them personally.

ETA - best way to bribe a procurement or contracts manager (depending on the size of the contract)

Throw in extra goods FOC (eg buy 10 HP printers, get 2 free)
Throw in food hampers, boxes of chocolates,for each order over a certain value
Send the procurement/Contract Managers crates of whisky at Xmas
Invites to sports events (Old Trafford, Wimbledon, Lords)
Give them massive discounts on work for private work (driveways, fencing, kitchen extension)
Free invites to "conferences" in Barbados, the maldives, Singapore, Dubai (usually including a +1)

Bribes can range from stuff that can be justified as "Corporate hospitality" at the lower end, to out and out cash payments into the wife/mistress's bank account.

Edited by Countdown on Friday 18th November 18:20

For most companies these days accepting those would be a dismissible offence.... (and rightly so)

Well, the Clerk of Works at a site I was recently on was boasting of his new hot tub in his garden and how the fencing guys from the job had "done" all the associated timber work. I didn't probe any further as that site had enough problems already...

[Tango13]

Countdown said:

If you're giving somebody a bribe then, unless you're a complete amateur, you would have to be pretty stupid to send the bribe to their place of work addressed to them personally.

ETA - best way to bribe a procurement or contracts manager (depending on the size of the contract)

Throw in extra goods FOC (eg buy 10 HP printers, get 2 free)
Throw in food hampers, boxes of chocolates,for each order over a certain value
Send the procurement/Contract Managers crates of whisky at Xmas
Invites to sports events (Old Trafford, Wimbledon, Lords)
Give them massive discounts on work for private work (driveways, fencing, kitchen extension)
Free invites to "conferences" in Barbados, the maldives, Singapore, Dubai (usually including a +1)

Bribes can range from stuff that can be justified as "Corporate hospitality" at the lower end, to out and out cash payments into the wife/mistress's bank account.

Edited by Countdown on Friday 18th November 18:20

The most I've been given as a bung in four years of purchasing was a box of fancy biscuits. I shared them round the office only after I'd scoffed the chocolate coated ones.

[316Mining]

fesuvious said:

I was stood in the car park.

I saw the flatbed come in, and saw what was on it. The driver asked for 'x' or 'y'. Just first names.

I was there on an unannounced visit. I called in because I was nearby and had some concerns about something we'd been doing the day before.

The hottubs when I left were being taken off by a shipping container at the side of the property.

They vanished fairly quickly after that.
The PM we'd been working for had a major change of attitude towards me specifically that day.

He sacked us shortly after.

I was later told that the firm that replaced us were seen on site the same day.

I have zero proof of that or what happened to the hot-tubs.

Birthing pools they were not.

Sorry I might have been confused, I thought you were talking about an NHS site but you didn't actually state that.