Long story short, this girl was paid to create tutorials for one of the online businesses I manage 3 years ago. Pretty much, we paid her and the 'service' she provided was the tutorial. Her name is no where on the tutorial.
A month ago, I had to completely redo the tutorials to match our most recent program release; the one she created is no longer on our website. My name IS on the updated tutorial.
I got a support email from a company, saying that she submitted a resume and included on it was that she had created our tutorials, so they checked out the CURRENT information, and wanted to know why MY name was on there and not hers, because they liked what they saw.
I responded saying yes, 3 years ago she had created tutorials when the program was more cut and dry and user friendly, and that I had updated them since the program is now more geared to our power clients. They told her what I had said, and she's still adamant that she had done this project herself.
Obviously, this goes outside the scope of my job; I am not responsible for providing them with the old tutorials or helping her land this job, and she's blatantly lying that she created what is currently on our site.
Before I bring this up to my boss as to how to proceed, what should I say to him? There's no doubt he will stand up for me (because it's the truth), but in the same token, I don't even feel like I should have to bother him with this. We have no record of the old tutorials (that's her fault if she didn't save a copy with the dates!!)... so do I let it slide? Continue to tell this company that those are MY tutorials and she has no right to take the credit for them? Contact her and say, what?!
@Gidget, I DID have to completely redo them from scratch, there's NOTHING left of her original because the program is totally different now, it just has the same name...
Really I don't think you should have responded at all, they should be contacting the boss or personnel dept. You have no obligation here.
Thanks for the SWH because that cleared up some of my questions.
Do I think she is trying to take credit for your work? No. It was not that long ago that you wrote on here about having to update those tutorials while your husband and boss went fishing.
When she submitted that resume to the employer the old tutorials might have still been in use. Maybe the employer was slow responding to her resume. Or she might be guilty of not checking the site to see that her tutorials were still in use. I think that is all she is guilty of.
If her potential employer asks than I would just explain that the tutorials were just recently redone and hers are no longer in use. I don't think it requires any further explanation.
I don't mean to be splitting hairs, but when you say, "she's still adamant that she had done this project herself," well, didn't she? I mean, she did create the original tutorials. Yes, you had to update them. Well, isn't updating them a lot easier than creating them from scratch? Also, didn't she do her project herself, without assistance? How is any of that lying?
This isn't about someone taking credit away from you, this is about her taking credit for something she did. This isn't about you at all. If you are contacted in the future, simply let them know that she created the original tutorials, the company was very pleased with the work she did and since that time, the tutorials have been updated since then.
ETA:
I'm not trying to argue with you. If you had to start over from scratch, then that is a lot of work. Still, that doesn't change the fact that she really did create something as well. The fact that it isn't currently being used, doesn't change the fact that she did create a tutorial as well.
If you did have the originals to show the other company, that probably would have been nice, but they may have been more interested in whether or not she did in fact create something. My point is, I don't think you need to be upset that she tried to take credit for your work. I don't think that was her intention at all. She created a tutorial. Your company is no longer using it (that's fine), but she did create one. Nothing wrong with her putting that on a resume.
I am not sure if they should be contacting you. I think they should be contacting the boss. I would just send an email to the boss to let him know or to keep him informed. What if this woman calls him and complains and he knows nothing of it. I would not contact her unless you have a copy of the old tutorials to send her.
You continue to tell the truth. If any further contact is initiated by them or her.
Any decent designer has copies for their portfolio.
Not sure why this is an ongoing conversation between you & her perspective employer? They asked, you answered, she lied. They can make their own decision. Why would your boss be involved at all with a reference check?
You know, R., what you 'are' and 'are not' allowed to say when giving references for a past employee is very limited, legally. Your boss should probably handle this from here on out--assuming that he is the O. who paid her for her work. Probably, the email should have been addressed by him in the first place!
ETA: BTW, it's pretty odd that you were allowed to "have your name on them" anyway--you're acting as an agent of the company--not a designer.
On our company collateral materials (DVDs, catalogs, brochures, etc...it's the COMPANY copyright, not our designers (myself included) who's name is on the product!
She gets credit for the work she did 3 years ago, not for what you did more recently.
She said her say and you said yours.
Surely in three years she has done other work that can be looked at and if she hasn't - well, you can't rest on your laurels that long.
Her prospective employer now has to make a choice - hire her for what they think she can do (and looking at your work does not help them make that choice), or decide she's not that trustworthy and move on to someone they feel more comfortable with.
I agree with Live Bold. Is there really any further follow up required of you?
I would say no more. You already told them you created them. It's not your problem that she is saying they are. Maybe there are some similarities and ideas that she's just believing you took from her. But it's not your problem.
I think honestly you just ignore this. This is an old employee who wants to take credit for something she didn't do. You already discussed with her potential new employer so they're aware. There's no need to involve your boss or anyone else - this isn't his responsibility or yours. Too bad for the old employee that she didn't save her own copy.
(I think if you went to your boss, you'd only look petty... and that's obviously not your goal)
It isn't your responsibility to prove she didn't create this. She wants the job, then she holds the burden of proof. And just hope that if these folks hire her, she will be faced with the "Working Girl" scenario where Sigourney (sp?) Weaver tried to take credit for Melanie Griffith's idea to go to Trask industries (hee hee!). Let it go R., not your fight. You can back up your work and how you created it, she can't!
If you redid them from scratch just tell everyone that yes 3 years ago she created tutorials for the company, however you no longer use those tutorials as you have since updated your system and no longer have copies of the tutorials she created.
Plain and simple leave it at that. They will chose who to believe on their own. I would not contact her though as she obviously knows what she is doing is wrong, and you calling her most likely will not change what she does.
The burden should be on her to prove that she created the tutorials. ANYONE who does marketing and creation stuff KNOWS to save their stuff, even people who write books, seal it and send it to themselves as proof of date. She should have kept copies of what she did. On the flip, side businesses usually keep the "old" stuff as a historical feature to show how they have developed....i.e. version. 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, etc.
She should also realize that what she did is no longer on the site and admit that. She should be able to show proof - time stamped e-mails, delivery, etc. to prove what she did.
You shouldn't have to bother the boss with this. Although he WILL need to know about it. Not that it is a big deal, but that their are questions swirling in regards to the new tutorials. I would NOT contact her. I would inform my boss as to what is going on and let her prove her tutorials.
Give the same answer you have been giving and tell them if they need any further information you can refer them to your supervisor. Let him know you did this and why. Call her and let her know what you did and then it's up to her to keep this going or let it die, and her fate is in her own hands.
Hi, R.:
Inform your boss of the issues going on.
Good luck.
D.
