High tech, low ethics

With layoffs, recession, and economic slowdown, high tech companies are thinning their work force. Who gets the ax? The top brass wants to let others do the dirty work, so they've revitalized the nasty "360 Evaluation."

Have you ever heard of the "360 Evaluation"? It's a dog-eat-dog system used by leading high-tech companies whereby everybody rates everybody - superiors their subordinates, subordinates their superiors, and workers their coworkers. The outcome is a free-for-all of slander, revenge, and intrigue.

One of the senior design engineers of a leading Israeli high-tech firm was faced with a mandatory "360", where he was required to relinquish information about his subordinates, superiors, and peers - this was something that the KGB would be proud of. He couldn't sleep for a week, until he called me and asked me what to do. I told him to give only factual and positive information, and to steer clear of anything that could be detrimental to another person's reputation or livelihood in the slightest way.

The Chofetz Chaim writes that one is better advised to forfeit all his or her worldly possessions, rather than utter one word of slander against another person.

The Bolshevik-like system of the "360 Evaluation" is both immoral and a negation of Jewish law. The juxtaposition of high tech and low ethics is just another symptom of a decadent society. Some might say, "back to the drawing board"; better yet, back to the Gemara. High-tech has a lot to learn from Chovot Halevavot and Mesillat Yesharim.