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75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

engprax.com

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Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#61

Post by wccrawford »

I once reported something that my boss said to the heads of the company. They sent HR in to take care of it instead. My boss said, "I could get fired for what you said I did." He didn't deny it, just that I could cause him to get fired. I said, "Yeah!" or something similar.

The company's response? I was to talk to my boss first next time before going above his head. For something he did that was (I think) illegal, and clearly not okay. I assume that was so he could sweep it under the rug.

That year, I didn't get a raise, when I normally got rather large raises. I went somewhere else 6 months later and immediately earned 40% more.

I'm not at all surprised that 75% say they faced retaliation.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#62

Post by newZWhoDis »

wccrawford wrote: post #61

I once reported something that my boss said to the heads of the company. They sent HR in to take care of it instead. My boss said, "I could get fired for what you said I did." He didn't deny it, just that I could cause him to get fired. I said, "Yeah!" or something similar. The company's response? I was to talk to my boss first next time before going above his head. For something he did that was (I think) illegal, an…

Give us a hint: was it legal pre-1965?

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#63

Post by teaearlgraycold »

jongjong wrote: post #50

I feel like I'm still facing retaliation for quitting a company 3 years ago. I'm more experienced and more efficient than I've ever been as a software engineer but I can't keep a job and nobody answers my job applications anymore even after changing countries (I have multiple citizenships). I apply for hundreds and get literally 0 calls back. Even my sister who works in HR can't believe it so we started applying toge…

Right now a lot of people without any history of whistleblowing have the same story

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#64

Post by talldatethrow »

newZWhoDis wrote: post #62
wccrawford wrote: post #61

I once reported something that my boss said to the heads of the company. They sent HR in to take care of it instead. My boss said, "I could get fired for what you said I did." He didn't deny it, just that I could cause him to get fired. I said, "Yeah!" or something similar. The company's response? I was to talk to my boss first next time before going above his head. For something he did that was (I think) illegal, an…

Give us a hint: was it legal pre-1965?

I worked at a place where the person in charge of hiring for that department passed on a great candidate that was black, not because he didn't like black people IMO, but because he said "if were wrong about him being great, black people are way too hard to fire". That was the only openly crazy racist statement I've really ever heard in a corporate environment.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#65

Post by darkclouds »

parkerhiggins wrote: post #2

I've found that there isn't a lot of discussion or research around this subject. Shoutout to engprax, a compliance company, for clearly approaching the issue. Is it actually an issue though? Software engineers by design (?) are not capital "P" professionals. There's no certification or board underwriting our work. Software engineering/developers have had the latitude to "move fast" and represent the only "professiona…

[dead]

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#66

Post by DoesntMatter22 »

I know a girl at a Fortune 500 company (not a dev) who was in corporate sales. She went with a more experienced sales person (a guy) who took her and the client to Hooters. No joke. This is like 2019 so in full swing Me Too movement.

When she reported it she was immediately put on a PIP for bad performance. Then she was really dressed down privately by her boss for bringing it up. She taped the convo (legal in her state).

Even presented with that evidence they fired her. They went to the EEOC to protest. The EEOC said that there's almost nothing you can do. So, regardless she hired a lawyer. It wasn't the money it was the fact she was fired despite reporting this (and having good sales numbers).

She spent 2k out of pocket. They said "No we aren't gonna settle". Finally they offered to pay her lawyers fees. She said no and that she was going to finance a movie (low budget but who cares) of what happened to her and form a support group. And talk with ProPublica about the company.

Over 3 hours they negotiated until they gave her a bit under half a million.

The only way to really get justice is just to do things like that I guess. Reporting it has the opposite effect. Eventually many of the other guys involved were let go.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#67

Post by ulizzle »

Oh yeah, the worst thing you can do is speak up at work. Especially if any of the higher-ups are assholes up to no good. That's why recruiters value long-term stays at a job because it shows that you either have too much to lose or are too much of a coward to stand up for yourself.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#68

Post by mcpackieh »

golergka wrote: post #11
wesapien wrote: post #9

I was listening to a podcast with Jim Rutt and he said that he encouraged people to give "bad news" and to not shoot the messenger. He was also against office politics and fired people for it. I wish more companies had this culture.

Do you honestly think the line between giving bad news or reporting bad behaviour and office politics is so clear cut?

Indeed. The line between an earnest report of bad news/behavior and a less than earnest political play can be extremely unclear.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#69

Post by tehjoker »

Well no shit, reporting wrongdoing means getting on the wrong side of someone more powerful than you. Here are things that would make it possible to fix this:

    - Unionization
    - Strong Federal whistleblower protections
That's about it. Of the two, the most important is unionization, because the company can buy off the feds via the revolving door.

Re: 75% of Software Engineers Faced Retaliation Last Time They Reported Wrongdoing

#70

Post by pc2slow4webpack »

jongjong wrote: post #50

I feel like I'm still facing retaliation for quitting a company 3 years ago. I'm more experienced and more efficient than I've ever been as a software engineer but I can't keep a job and nobody answers my job applications anymore even after changing countries (I have multiple citizenships). I apply for hundreds and get literally 0 calls back. Even my sister who works in HR can't believe it so we started applying toge…

> junior devs straight out of no-name universities getting jobs easily

I'm a soon-to-be grad from a Top 5 Canadian school with multiple internships (no big names, unfortunately), it's been very difficult for me to get callbacks. In fact my ratio of getting past the first screen is about 2/125.

I would blame your experience more on the market.

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