Business ethics in firings

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Patrick_Lahey

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For the past three years I was working for a large Catholic NGO. When I was expecting my new contract to arrive, I was surprised to receive instead a terse notice that they would not be renewing my contract again. They did not give me any reason for the dismissal, and they refuse to respond to my several attempts to contact them. This seems to me to be a violation of Catholic ethics because it demeans my human dignity, but I can’t find the Church document that would explain the ethical ramifications. Can anyone out there help me find something? Since it is a Catholic organization, I am still hopeful that they would respond if I could express my appeal as their violation of ethics.
 
I’m not sure what answer you are looking for - maybe just a reason for not being renewed, but most people want more than just that. There are 22 “whys” beyond just the basic reason.

You also didn’t specify how you attempted to contact them. Sending them a letter via registered mail with a signature receipt is the best way as it establishes a paper trail.

If this is just a search for information and nothing more, meaning if you get an answer you don’t like you aren’t going to seek legal remedy, then I would suggest a different approach. I would write the letter but the question I would ask is, if contacted by another potential employer and asked if you are eligible for rehire, would the answer be yes or no? That will tell you what you seem to be wanting to know, meaning was your release the result of performance issues or something disconnected like the budget.

Please be aware there are a myriad of small catchy things in employment law, and they vary state to state. They will surely be aware of all of them, you may not be. So the best thing you can do is contact an employment attorney for advice.
 
I don’t know where you live, but where I live, they don’t have to give you a reason, especially if you are a contract employee.

I am given a contract each year, and if at the end of my contract, they do not want to extend me another one, such is life. I would be quite upset, not being given the professional courtesy of a reason why, but they flat out do not have to tell me why.

In contract employee situation, a company may need to lay people off, but because it is only a year contract, it is more simple. You simply do not offer another contract. It could have nothing to do with you.

I have never worked for an NGO. I work for a school district, so I don’t exactly know your situation. I am sorry this has happened to you. I know it feels horrible. From the information you provided, I do not think they have done anything unethical, just insensative and uncourteous.

Much like a romantic relationship where you suddenly find yourself unwanted by the other party, begging and clawing and scratching your way back in probably will not make you happier. (again, I could misunderstand, you might just be seeking an apology) Perhaps God has a better job waiting for you somewhere.
 
Depending on the situation, you might try reaching out to them in person or over the telephone instead of mailing a certified letter. It depends on your objective. Keep reaching out to them – Try a polite and cordial e-mail to someone higher up in the organization.

Keep calling – Be firm, but polite and professional. You will eventually get through to someone if you persist. Sometimes it can take repeated efforts. Try calling one day, sending an e-mail the next, a letter on the third, another phone call on the fourth day, etc. Keep doing this consistently and don’t give up.

If your goal is to win the contract back, and continue to work with this organization, then a lighter touch might be more appropriate. I would try to get face-to-face with a decision-maker if possible, preferably in a business setting such as an office. Alternatively, offer to take a decision-maker to lunch or dinner. Your main goal, in these circumstances, is to maintain long-term contact and stay at the forefront of their mind for future contracts. You want them to think of you first when a need arises.

Doors open, and doors close. As a businessperson, you want to build bridges, keep the lines of communication open, and keep the door open for future opportunities. If you get too tough with them now, it might hurt your chances for future business when economic times are brighter down the road.

If you do get in touch with them, and they give a terse reply in person, or over the phone, you want to emphasize the long-term relationship, and that you want to stay in touch with them every quarter as their needs may change. The goal is to be in regular contact over a period of time via different mediums – in person, over the phone, via e-mail, via letter, etc.

Unfortunately, politeness and cordiality oftentimes get thrown out the window during tough economic times and budget cuts. Don’t take it personally. You could be doing excellent work, and some bean-counter, unfamiliar with the positive impact you are having on the organization, could make a “financial decision” to cut your contract. It’s the reality right now. It has, in many cases, nothing whatsoever to do with you – but moreso to do with budget cuts. Keep your head high.

Take it as a compliment: You’re so good, they can’t afford you! Not every client can afford the very best in your field.
 
Patrick_Lahey said:
For the past three years I was working for a large Catholic NGO. When I was expecting my new contract to arrive, I was surprised to receive instead a terse notice that they would not be renewing my contract again. They did not give me any reason for the dismissal, and they refuse to respond to my several attempts to contact them. This seems to me to be a violation of Catholic ethics because it demeans my human dignity, but I can’t find the Church document that would explain the ethical ramifications. Can anyone out there help me find something? Since it is a Catholic organization, I am still hopeful that they would respond if I could express my appeal as their violation of ethics.
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How, exactly, has your “human dignity” been demeaned? You freely entered into a one year contract. You did not get a new contract. Hurt feelings and unmet expectations does not a violation of human dignity make.

Charitable giving has been down the last few years, perhaps they have had to cut back due to finances and contract employees are the first to go. Perhaps they were dissatisfied with your work. Perhaps they did strategic planning and decided to put resources in another area. There are really many reasons you might not have been renewed.

While it would be *courteous *to give you more information, it’s not obligatory. Perhaps they have a standard letter approved by legal counsel that is given to everyone. After all, I’m sure there are many who would put their “Catholic ethics” aside and sue the pants off an NGO for all sorts of frivolous reasons, so Catholic or not this NGO must follow laws regarding personnel and HR matters.
 
GerardMajella said:
Your main goal, in these circumstances, is to maintain long-term contact and stay at the forefront of their mind for future contracts. You want them to think of you first when a need arises.

Doors open, and doors close. As a businessperson, you want to build bridges, keep the lines of communication open, and keep the door open for future opportunities. If you get too tough with them now, it might hurt your chances for future business when economic times are brighter down the road.
Click to expand...
This is very good advice.
 
It’s a new day in age. I would expect they will never tell you why. If they do, and someone misspeaks, they open themselves up legally. Most companies and organization’s HR departments recommend managers, supervisors, etc. NOT give references to former employees other than to provide documentation of the time they were employed.
 
Thanks to all for the several answers I received. At the beginning I tried to be concise so as not to bore you with the details, but now I see several issues require further explanation.
Many of you looked at this from a legal standpoint. I agree with you that the former employer is probably following standard legal practices to minimize chances of lawsuits. However, they had already done that pretty well in the terms of the contract, which clearly stated that they could cancel the contract at any time with one month’s notice and without having to give any reason. I don’t think I would have a legal leg to stand on if I wanted to sue them, and I don’t want to waste my time or my dime on that. Nor am I at all interested in getting the job back. For me it’s not a legal matter, it’s a matter of right and wrong, maybe not good and evil, but at least good and bad. If this had been a secular employer, I would be less concerned, but it’s a Catholic organization, and I thought they should hold themselves to a higher standard. As we all know, there are many things that are legal but are not ethical, moral, or justifiable. The way they handled may have been perfectly legal, but it still seems to me it falls short of a reasonable standard of Christian compassion. That’s why I’m fishing for some grounds in Catholic ethics to try to hold them to a higher standard than just what the law allows.
1ke asks the pertinent question “How, exactly, has your “human dignity” been demeaned?”, and again exposes my lack of formal training in ethics, since I don’t know the criteria for defining demeaned dignity. But there are very few up sides to being released so unceremoniously. I feel injured personally, colleagues, friends and potential future employers will all wonder what I did wrong (it wasn’t a budget issue, since the organization is fairly well-off and they immediately hired someone to replace me), and I have no way to defend myself because I don’t know what I’m defending myself against.
It’s injurious to other people too. In the course of asking former colleagues what they think happened, many of them suggested office politics.and fingers were pointed in half a dozen directions at people who likely undermined me. I don’t intend to hold it against anyone, but there remain those vague suspicions, some more credible than others.
I very much liked GerardMajella’s advice (also one of my favorite saints despite my 17 years of childless marriage) and have been more or less following it. I have sent several e-mails to the organization official who signed my dismissal memo, and I know from contact with people around him that he received them. I suspect he actually feels badly about the situation, but is restricted by policy from giving me the answer I’ve been asking for. I also appealed directly to the CEO who knows me from our several meetings, and people around him tell me that there is no reason to think he wouldn’t have received or read the e-mail. But he didn’t respond. I continue a positive association with the organization, working as a volunteer at the local level to help continue the good work they are doing. I intend to continue gently nudging the home office indefinitely - I have nothing to lose. It is very likely that at some time in the next few years I will run into the people who fired me, so it will be interesting to encounter them when they should be embarrassed over the way they treated me.
In the end, I think the organization ends up looking worse than I do. They took a rash decision and made a foolish mistake. If they answered my inquiries and gave me their reasoning, I am confident that my responses would point out how rash and foolish their action was.
If I can make one further request of readers, Chiltepin described their action as “insensitive and uncourteous”. Lacking an approach based on ethical grounds, I would like to compile a list of descriptives to (gently, yes, gently) let the organization know how their action is regarded by people who hear about it.
Last but not least, Chiltepin will be glad to know that the whole affair prompted my wife to jump back into the job market, and before my severence pay ran out, she had a very nice job paying better than what I had been earning. All credit to Divine Providence!
This is my first foray into Catholic Answers, and I would like to express my gratitude to those of you who took the time to respond. It’s more than my former employer gave me!!!
 
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