My Nice, New Layoff Story

Managers are instructed to lie when asked direct questions. That doesn't make it right. I wouldn't be able to do it.

 

We count on people trusting our journalists all the time with off-the-record and not-for-attribution information. You telling me an SE couldn't confide in his own journalist with that reasonable expectation, regardless of the monolithic corporate policy?

 

Was that when you were in the 'Tucky?

 

You are in trouble now for exposing the super-secret Managment BS School.

 

the kid had been on the job less than three months. Yes, I probably wouldn't have staked my livlihood on his discretion

 

Any manager who abides by an order to lie is a total wimp and should be ashamed of himself or herself. I don't lie for anybody. Can you imagine the piles of human shit that attend some of the 10 a.m. meetings of newspapers across this country five days a week (of course they don't work weekends)? Anybody who agrees to lie is a coward who doesn't deserve to have a job.

 

you don't tell someone they may or may not be losing their job. you simply don't put someone through that type of mental anguish over something they can't control.

not every management type out there is a fucking prick. and if you guys want to go down this road, maybe we should point to the obvious as far as this story is concerned ... shall we?

 

Fair enough. It's this post about some managers being told to lie that set me off. Would you agree to somebody's order to lie to keep your job? I do not "lie" for anybody. I would rather be unemployed.

 

frederick - if you think newspaper management is unique when it comes to this matter you are sadly mistaken. management meets behind closed doors at for a reason. sometimes strategy or plans need to be worked out and many opinions and a thought process goes into the final decision.

being non management, do you really want to know: well, this could happen and it can impact your life this way or this could happen and it could impact your life this way or this can happen and your life would be impacted this way ...?

 

I agree with the aging Super Bowl halftime act
I've been in management for a number of years now and have never been told to lie. However, there is information I had I could not disclose.
If I was ever asked a question from a staff member about sensitive info, I merely replied I couldn't talk about it.
Its just the way it is when you assume greater responsibility.
You know, those that haven't been in management think they are all "lying fucks", but there's a great deal of stress involved when you are dealing with people's livlihoods and careers, and most that I've encountered struggle greatly with difficult decisions.
Unfortunately, though, those decisions have to be made and that's the gig.

 

Yup.

 

Saying you can't talk about it is talking about it; saying you have nothing to worry about is lying.
This SE lied about another man's livelihood -- someone who did nothing more wrong than to be the low man on the totem pole...