Tell the Auditor the Management Representative (MR) is Leaving?

[SteelWoman]

I'm having a "philosophical" difference with my boss, and wonder what you guys think. I'm leaving my position as the TS and ISO14 Management Rep at the end of the month, have already told my employer I'm leaving and they have already provided me with a Trainee, who is following me around like the dutiful puppy dog. Anyway, we already had an audit scheduled for this week and the auditor is one we've used through the duration of our TS certification. In making final confirmations for the audit I told the auditor about the fact that I was leaving. I found out later that my boss told someone else (why he didn't tell ME, I have no idea) that we need to "keepit quiet" during the audit about me leaving, so the auditor wouldn't find out. ???

I confronted him about it today and asked him what in the world he was thinking, and he said, "It could damage the audit." HUH? When I pressed him on it, he couldn't tell me HOW it could damage the audit. I told him it was relevant to the audit, as it was a change that could clearly impact the Quality System.

Am I just crazy here, lost in my "short-timer" tunnel vision? I'm going to have my trainee puppy by my side the entire duration of the audit - am I supposed to explain that as something else, instead of telling our auditor what she's really doing there? What could possibly be gained by that? Can any of you elaborate as to how telling the auditor in advance that this would be my last surveillance audit is "damaging"?

Geeze, days like this make me glad I'm about to change careers....

What do ya'll think?

 

[Rachel]

I think your boss is having a freak-out. I don't know what your company culture is like, but if it's "answer the questions and don't offer information", then this seems to fit.

 

[Wes Bucey]

It seems you are caught on the horns of a dilemma (nasty beast!)

There are two schools of thought:

1. "When in doubt, leave it out!"
2. "The truth shall set you free!"

I subscribe to school #2

 

[Jim Wynne]

he said, "It could damage the audit." HUH? When I pressed him on it, he couldn't tell me HOW it could damage the audit. I told him it was relevant to the audit, as it was a change that could clearly impact the Quality System.

I think you and your boss are probably making too much of it. Lying to auditors is not good practice, but I think the information is neutral and should have no effect one way or the other on the present audit. There's no reason to lie about it, but there's no reason to hide the information either. There's also no apparent reason for the auditor to believe the system will go to pieces when you leave, even though it might. Because the information isn't germane to the audit or the present state of the quality system (which should be the auditor's sole concern) there's no reason to volunteer the information. If you feel it's a matter of courtesy to the auditor to tell him/her that you won't be there next time, wait until the results are in, unless the subject comes up somehow before then.

 

[SteelWoman]

This is a very small company and I cannot imagine that my pending departure wouldn't come up multiple times in the course of the audit from other people. What then? It looks like you're purposely hiding something, "Oh, gee, did I forget to mention that?"

 

[Al Rosen]

I don't think it will affect your audit in the least. But eventually the registrar will have to be notified about the new point of contact, your lap dog. Oh BTW, I don't think you should tell your puppy about this thread.

 

[SteelWoman]

The pup and I have already discussed it - like I said, it's a small company! The person my boss DID tell to "keep it quiet" mentioned it on Friday and here in "cubby world" you can't have a THOUGHT without everyone hearing it.

 

[SteelWoman]

I think the information is neutral and should have no effect one way or the other on the present audit.

Actually, I agree with JSW05 - I think it's neutral, benign info - something you mention as an aside, not as a "show stopper" kind of thing. But mention it if for no other reason than it will come up during the audit, being a small company.

 

[Jim Wynne]

This is a very small company and I cannot imagine that my pending departure wouldn't come up multiple times in the course of the audit from other people. What then? It looks like you're purposely hiding something, "Oh, gee, did I forget to mention that?"

If the decision is "don't tell" and it's a very small company, it should be a simple matter to spread the news and make sure people don't blab. (IMO, this is but one more reason that hiding the information isn't good--involving others in prevarication-by-omission.) Look at it this way: It's none of the auditor's business, so if and how he/she finds out is largely irrelevant so long as the company isn't caught in a lie, and the best way to avoid being caught in a lie is to not tell one.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Tell us again, Steel Woman, what's next on your horizon. I vaguely remember something about leaving Quality.