Following through with my last post on honesty, here’s the success story I mentioned:
During the placement process, I assess my client on his or her take of honesty at work using interview techniques, a self-report scale, and ensuing discussion. I’ve heard great stories.
I remember one client, a veteran I helped decades ago when I had a contract to provide vocational services to VA Voc Rehab. The veteran (served in Nam) wanted a more suitable job using his many transferable skills.
I learned that one day, while the Veteran was at work cleaning the men’s restroom at the I35 rest area near Osceola, he found a wallet filled with cash. He called his supervisor who drove to the rest areas to retrieve the wallet, and it was returned to it’s owner.
Lost Wallet, Honest Worker
What makes this story even more honest is the veteran was being paid ~$6.00 an hour to clean the rest area (all areas and facilities inside and outside). The wallet he found was filled with enough money to have paid his wages for nearly 2½ weeks of work (cleaning disgusting toilets, working out in the cold, being treated like poopy by people who just want to get in and get out…) And he returned it all. All of it!$.
References are Golden Nuggets!
To help with placement to a better job for the veteran, the supervisor, following my request and with my help wrote a superb reference letter. The letter helped with the success of this veteran securing his new job. He was hired at Homemakers Furniture where he made use of his transferable skills (one was leather upholstery) and excellent work references along with the help of the VA’s hiring incentive program. Nice work! I love this success story!
Back to me for a bit. A story of mine about honesty ranks up there too and simply put, that’s what a morally and ethically sound person does! I’ve returned found cell phones, various personal items, coats, neighbor’s mail, and money. Yes, money, in fact thousands of dollars.
Find cash on the sidewalk down the street! Get shortchanged? Too much change? Overpaid? Underpaid? What do you do?! A money dilemma!
Okay, here’s why I’ve literally returned thousands of dollars. As an independent contractor I more often than should happen experience a long, long wait to get paid for my work. Not fun and not fair. In fact, not that long ago I waited months to get paid, and then I received three checks in three separate envelopes for one invoice. Of course I returned the duplicate checks!
It literally added up to over $6,000!
Since 1999 when I started my business, I’ve been overpaid probably about six times. I couldn’t tell you why, but I return the checks…and pay postage doing so. And since 1999 I’ve been NOT paid once.
I still remember it. It was for my hard work performed on a complex case. My final invoice totaled ~$500 and for some horrible reason the insurance company didn’t pay me. Ironic to me that the [workers’ comp] case ended up being a NON permanent total disability. Needless to say, I won’t accept assignments from that representative any longer.
Okay, I’ll stop…but I could write a lot about unethical people!
I’ve written papers on my work and ethics. Please visit my LinkedIn Page to read the papers or call me at 515-282-7753 and I’ll send you copies.
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My professional consulting practice focuses on helping attorneys help their clients with civil litigation matters.
