Employer asking me to compromise on integrity

S

schnuer

Hello,

I would like to ask for some advice on a strange request made of me on a Gauge R&R at work. I supervised a Gauge R&R with 10 parts, 3 operators and 2 trials, and now I am being asked to study the readings with the most operator differences, try and reproduce readings myself, and "make changes to the data" as appropriate to bring the results within an acceptable GR&R; the GR&R percentages calculated by our GagePack software hover around 35% for 6 different studies.

My limited experience with this study tells me that remeasuring and adjusting numbers is a compromise and I have stalled on doing it. Is there some basis for adjusting numbers taken by the operators? As a possible defence for refusing to complete the task, I can claim that they never sent me for MSA training. I do have extensive experience programming CMM's, but have only read briefly about Gauge R&R analyses.

This would not be the only example of cooking books that I have seen here, but I have largely been spared being asked to do this because I have earned a reputation for being fast, efficient and straight-up with my CMM inspection results. If it came to a showdown, I like to think my record would save me. But if forced to compromise or quit, I feel that putting me in that spot would serve as a legitimate reason to give if I was asked why I quit here, ie. next job interview.
 
D

domingue

In my opinion, it's never worth giving up your integrity. You can do pointless tasks because the boss wants, you can try to weasel your way past requirements that your boss doesn't want to spend the money on meeting, and you can do the opposite of what you think is the best business decision because you're instructed to, but I would draw the line at fudging data. I work in aerospace where that kind of thing can land you in jail.

When I worked at my last job, the field quality engineer from one of our customers was as much of a mentor to me as he could be without being on our payroll. He had worked with our company for years before I got there and he knew the types of people there and the things that went on. He always made sure that I understood that no matter what happened, I should never ever compromise my integrity - it just wasn't worth it. He told me horror stories about people who worked under him fudging data and getting hauled off in black cars and/or getting completely banished from the industry because word spread about their screw-ups so no one would hire them.

It may be a little less strict when you're not dealing with federal regulations the way aerospace guys are (that is if you're not a regulated industry - maybe you are), but I still think the point stands. You can certainly check their work to make sure the data is accurate, but if a process is unreliable/unrepeatable, then that's what it is. I personally don't think playing with it until you get the desirable outcome is the way to go.
 
J

joshua_sx1

...a very nice “sharing” you have there domingue, I was about to tell schnuer to follow what his employer wants him to do, after all that is all his employer money that is being wasted on… but, I totally agree with domingue and I guess, schnuer has to evaluate first the impact of compromising integrity… he may become the “shock absorber” at the end…
 

sparky58

Involved In Discussions
Don't do it.

If it comes out (and these things have a way of doing so) will your boss tell any enquiry/court that he demanded you do it? - No!
 

Ajit Basrur

Leader
Admin
Neither would I - is there any other alternative where you could overcome this situation by not compromising and yet siding the employer :)
 
V

Valeri

Never compromise your integrity or ethics - nothing is worth that.

At a previous employer I was instructed (along with the engineer) to "correct" a test report on a safety critical part - both of us refused. I was pulled into an office in another building and "interviewed" as to my loyalty; it was a heated discussion but I did not move from my original stance and did keep my job. After the confrontation, I found out a lawsuit had been filed against my employer concerning this part.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Hello,

I would like to ask for some advice on a strange request made of me on a Gauge R&R at work. I supervised a Gauge R&R with 10 parts, 3 operators and 2 trials, and now I am being asked to study the readings with the most operator differences, try and reproduce readings myself, and "make changes to the data" as appropriate to bring the results within an acceptable GR&R; the GR&R percentages calculated by our GagePack software hover around 35% for 6 different studies.

My limited experience with this study tells me that remeasuring and adjusting numbers is a compromise and I have stalled on doing it.

You have enough experience to know that what you're being asked to do ain't right, which is enough experience at this point. You can post the data from one of your studies here if you like, and perhaps we can look at it and help you to understand how to go about "fixing" things.
 

Coury Ferguson

Moderator here to help
Trusted Information Resource
Integrity and ethics are the most important thing to your well being and compromising is very dangerous.

I had to make a similar decision early in my career (real early), my situation was very different to your's (not data, product). If I would have done what I was asked there was a potential of loss of life and multi-million dollar aircrafts.

I walked out because I would not compromise my integrity or ethics.
 
D

D.Scott

Hello,

I would like to ask for some advice on a strange request made of me on a Gauge R&R at work. I supervised a Gauge R&R with 10 parts, 3 operators and 2 trials, and now I am being asked to study the readings with the most operator differences, try and reproduce readings myself, and "make changes to the data" as appropriate to bring the results within an acceptable GR&R; the GR&R percentages calculated by our GagePack software hover around 35% for 6 different studies.

My limited experience with this study tells me that remeasuring and adjusting numbers is a compromise and I have stalled on doing it. Is there some basis for adjusting numbers taken by the operators? As a possible defence for refusing to complete the task, I can claim that they never sent me for MSA training. I do have extensive experience programming CMM's, but have only read briefly about Gauge R&R analyses.

This would not be the only example of cooking books that I have seen here, but I have largely been spared being asked to do this because I have earned a reputation for being fast, efficient and straight-up with my CMM inspection results. If it came to a showdown, I like to think my record would save me. But if forced to compromise or quit, I feel that putting me in that spot would serve as a legitimate reason to give if I was asked why I quit here, ie. next job interview.

Good advice so far - Never falsify the data.

Having said that, please consider the following -

Is it possible your boss is being misunderstood? Is he asking you to re-evaluate the gage R&R to see why the numbers are so far off? It could be as simple as gage positioning during the R&R. Is everyone measuring in the same spot? He may be asking you to do your own study, determine why the variation and redo the R&R with new parameters. It may be found after your study that the gage is unsuitable for the measurement. Try to determine another way to measure the part.

Your boss may not be telling you to "fudge" the numbers. He may be asking you to look into it and try to find out what's wrong. His suggestion to look at the obviously different readings seems a good place to start. Try to reproduce those readings yourself to see if there is something you can put your finger on as causing the variance. If you can come up with something, redo the R&R and look at the new results.

Don't assume your boss is asking you to do something wrong. Use your skills as a quality professional to resolve the problem in a way that won't compromise yourself or the company.

Dave
 

ScottK

Not out of the crisis
Leader
Super Moderator
Have you flat out asked the boss "Are you telling me to fudge this?" and explaining that it makes you uncomfortable? Maybe you should start there.
And then ask why it's so important that this R&R come out perfect - why can't it be what it is and use it as an opportunity for improvement and put together an action plan?

This is a very difficult situation that many QA people are put into.
I've been in the position more times than I can count in just about every job I've held and I honestly can't say I'm lilly white - sometimes holding the job is more importantant than a little manipulation on some minor data that won't impact much of anything.

The way I see it there is "massaging" data and there is flat out falsifying data.
I've tried in the past to make a line between two in that I may have manipulated statistics, but never actually changed raw data.
I also tried to make a line between minor and major characteristics and to never fudge anything major in any way.


And as Jim suggested if possible post your data here and let some "grey magicians" have a peek and see if something can be done to keep you ethically clear.
 
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