Here is KBR’s most recent Blue Border Alert (Threat). It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths KBR will go when trying to keep their employees under control. Threats and intimidation seem to be KBR’s default MO. I can wee why they are panicking. Every time we turn around, they are in the news and it’s not good. This last spanking they got from the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan after the scathing testimony from April G. Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency must have really shook them up a little. All those high paid KBR attorney’s must be scrambling to earn their money!!
I have attached the original Blue Border Alert HERE. But I have pasted the text below and I would be remiss if I didn’t post my personal opinions on this not so veiled attempt to get KBR employees past and present to “shut the hell up”!
Reminder of KBR Policy and United States Law Prohibiting
Unauthorized Disclosure of Company Information
May 8, 2009
All employees, directors and agents are reminded that unauthorized disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information outside of KBR may violate Company policy and applicable United States law. I’m sure it violates some KBR company policy, if not today then tomorrow knowing how malleable KBR policies are. It appears they apply only when it’s to the advantage of the enforcing manager. But…United States Law?? That’s curious. So…informing Federal Agencies or Congressional members MAY violate US Law? Interesting! Or is just when they don’t inform them via KBR? It is common knowledge that could be a serious job jeopardy situation.
KBR policies, such as Corporate Policy 3-0008, “Information of a Confidential or Proprietary Nature,” explicitly prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of company information of a confidential or proprietary nature outside the Company either during or after employment. First, KBR decides what they think is Confidential and Proprietary. Right now, with all the attorneys, and Government agencies biting at their ass, THAT’S EVERYTHING!! I seriously doubt that just because KBR makes it a corporate policy, that makes it legal. If someone is aware of wrongdoing or contract violations and know that disclosing this to KBR would put their jobs at risk, they have an obligation to the taxpayers to go to a Federal Agency. With or without KBR’s blessing. Just how many people have been fired, transferred or harassed into quitting after reporting wrong doing to KBR? I have a stack of stories!! And as far as “after employment” goes…..let me just speak for myself! KISS OFF!
Furthermore, under Corporate Policy 3-0009, “Use and Public Disclosure of Material Nonpublic Information,” no LOGCAP III employee in possession of material non-public information may provide other people with such information. Violation of Company policy will constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including, when appropriate, termination of employment. Oh no…not the “up to and including termination” threat again!
Not only would disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information outside of KBR violate Company policy, such disclosure may also violate United States law. For example, a violation of United States federal insider trading laws can expose a person to criminal fines of up to $5 million and imprisonment for up to 20 years, in addition to substantial civil penalties. Moreover, disclosure of KBR trade secrets under United States federal economic espionage laws could subject a person to criminal fines up to $5 million and up to 10 years imprisonment. Oh that’s just bullshit. There is no insider information. EVERYONE knows KBR is under investigation for just about everything including homicide. We don’t really care about KBR trade secrets. Just alleged crimes and DoD contract fraud. That’s all. We could give a shit less if KBR bribed some Nigerian official. We don’t care. But we do care if they killed or injured soldiers or civilians do to shoddy work!! We do care if KBR is fostering human trafficking. We do care if KBR knowingly exposed troops and civilians to hexavalent chromium. To get those issues resolved, I will gladly go to prison!! Oh and good luck collecting that 5 mil… Nice intimidation tactic though! But your average American employee is pretty smart and I’ll bet they call “bullshit”!
LOGCAP III employees are well-advised to treat any unofficial invitation or plea – regardless of the source – to disclose KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information (including internal company communiqués or messages) outside of KBR as posing a grave threat to KBR and its employees. It is a safe bet the requestor is not motivated to protect the best interests of individual LOGCAP III employees. “grave threat to KBR and its employees”….No. KBR is it’s own biggest threat to itself and it’s employees. If they would spend as much effort to just do it right the first time as they do trying to cover their tracks, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. As for “the requestor is not motivated to protect the best interests of individual LOGCAP III employees” that is where you are mistaken. This requestor is! I don’t even recall where I get info from, must be old age.
Nothing in this reminder is to be construed as prohibiting or discouraging disclosure of appropriate information to duly authorized, official U.S. Government entities and agents. Such authorized disclosures should be accomplished though KBR’s applicable policies, practices and/or protocols. Again, there is the whole “KBR is involved with the process…thing” KBR is notorious for being a threatening, intimidating, vengeful, company. Most people who have involved them in the reporting process, would never do it again.
Employees aware of any request from an unofficial source for disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non public information outside of KBR, or who are aware of any such disclosure, should contact Project Management, the LOGCAP III Legal Department or the Company’s Ethics Hotline. That is a stupid statement. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I request information all the time. It’s in my blog. It’s a standing request. So what do you want these people to do? Is this one of KBR’s “set ups”? Are they to line up at the PM’s door? “Ms Sparky is asking for more info.” So then you fire the ones who don’t line up at the door!
I do want to make sure I am clear on this. You’re saying that KBR employees can’t go directly to the CID to report a crime? They can’t go directly to the DCMA to report contract abuses? They can’t go directly to the DoD Inspector General? I wonder if these agencies know that? I’ll bet they do now.
And are you going to put up a bounty to encourage people to NARC on their buddies!! You should. That would be very very KBRish!
KBR, your preverbially “tit is in the wringer” don’t blame it on your “front line”employees, you know, the ones who actually do the work. It’s your own doing! I totally understand why you would not want ANY info getting out to the media or the DCMA or the DoDIG, or Congress or plaintiff attorney’s or or or………………. it’s JAIL TIME and $$$$$$$$$! What a motivator! To bad the safety of our troops and civilians don’t appear to be as important to you!
Ms Sparky
More garbage coming down from upper management to reinforce control over hard working souls. Odd that they dont send out memos highlighting the US Goverments policies or company policies regarding an employees’ rights to work free of intimidation or workplace hostility.
When I reported an individual regularly commiting significant time-sheet fraud to my KBR Manager, the HR Manager recommended my position be eliminated within 30 days…and it miraculously did!
Funny how thier “Come Forth” policies work. They need to police their In-Theatre Managers or hire DynCorp to do it for them.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I couldn’t have said it better myself! I’ve seen that happen more times than not. People come forward and then their gone!
This statement below really pissed me off.
“For example, a violation of United States federal insider trading laws can expose a person to criminal fines of up to $5 million and imprisonment for up to 20 years, in addition to substantial civil penalties. Moreover, disclosure of KBR trade secrets under United States federal economic espionage laws could subject a person to criminal fines up to $5 million and up to 10 years imprisonment.”
This bullshit. I am so damn sick and tired of being threatened.
I heard they are pushing to get ACO’s and LOTD’s closed out with the construction unfinished.
This is so they can get paid (in full) and get the rest of the construction done under “repair” status and get paid for the “repair” work.
(I hope CID picks up on this.)
It looks as if KBR knows they are on their way out and trying to collect as much money as they can before they are kicked down the road.
It appears to be the same with grounding and bonding… All the repairs being done and the push to close them out.
As for myself, if it’s between KBR policy and following federal law, I will follow federal law and let the CID know in a heartbeat.
Management wanted someone to point their fingers at in the electrical when they were the ones sweeping the problems under the rug all these years and not allowing electricians to fix it properly and hiding the “mess” in volumes of paperwork.
They were told over and over there were “issues” with the product they were building and maintaining.
Nothing in this reminder is to be construed as prohibiting or discouraging disclosure of appropriate information to duly authorized, official U.S. Government entities and agents. Such authorized disclosures should be accomplished though KBR’s applicable policies, practices and/or protocols.
This is a vague out for them, saying in obtuse ways that you have the rght to do what they tell you that you do not have to right to do. AFN air constantly about the rights we have, the right to contat the DoDIG with any information and evidence we come across and are encouraged to do so. KBR are in a panic these days, even the electricians on base here are seeing the end coming but they are being told daily that they are safe from any cutbacks because there is so much work for tehm to be done, if th Task Safe crwes looked at the amount of times the T.I.s were conducted and passed on a building that was later found to be severly lacking, they would soon see through the pencil-whipping done daily.
I know there are many Federal courts, I do not yet know which part of TX that KBR have their courts to prosecute those who open their eyes and mouths.
The lack of ethics in the lazy tradespeople who are happy to pencil whip a dangerous situation as safe, the lack of trades training in the ranks of investigators of the DCMA and Base Safety officials and the lack of people to inspect complaints and enforce Army Corp of Engineer regulations which we are all working under are the main issues we have to get over as well as KBR wishes.
KBR ignore Red Border alerts when it suits them so why would they expect a mere blue one to be thought of as important?
Keep asking, everything we have here is paid for by the Federal government and so, it is all government owned already, we are merely making sure they get the unedited versions of what is theirs by right and law.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I have yet to hear of ANYONE being sued by KBR for giving information to the DoD or any other investigating authority. I have yet to hear of ANYONE being sued for testifying before Congress. I have heard of KBR harassing some media, but I have yet to hear of KBR suing a blogger or other website owner.
I have also heard that there are several agencies assessing KBR’s Blue Border Alert to see if it is factual or just harassment. I will let you know if they get back to me. Also….if there are any attorney’s out there who would like to assess KBR’s Blue Border Alert and chime in….feel free. KBR attorney’s need not respond. Your opinion is bought and paid for!
I know you guys in Houston have a weekly meeting to discuss the stuff on this fine blog, scouring the ‘comments’ very closely to catch current employees dishing the dirt.
Well, I’m disclosing a vital piece of information, although it’s not much of a secret….(lean closer…..c’mon, closer…)
YOU SUCK!
I can personally assure all KBR loyalist, the Sen. Al Franken and Jon Stewart connection was not by chance.
I don’t mean to sound paranoid or overtly conspiratorial here, but I wonder just how far a company would go to protect a contract potentially worth BILLIONS of dollars?
Remember the premise of the movie “State of Play”?
Bruce…did you get fired from Fluor or did you just resign? You weren’t much of a performer at KBR if I recall and are just an angry person. You are the prototypical “angry employee”; You’re lucky Fluor hired you in the first place.
Give Ms. Sparky her due and give her the straight facts on things. She does great work and you are getting everyone off the point on your raves (though entertaining).
Why don’t you start by putting your real “picture” on your webstite? We all know who you are.
I appreciate the feed back on Ms Sparky. I work hard to keep the information flowing.
I have yet to find LogMaster to be deceptive with me. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
He said he resigned. But I wouldn’t put a whole lot of weight on someone being fired from a LOGCAP contractor anyway. With the favortism and nepotism who knows. I know for a fact the HR policies were not applied consistently.
That’s not his real photo?? Just an FYI- That’s not my real picture on today’s post either.
I hope he will be a great contributor to MsSparky.com
I was thinking I might add one of me as an underwear model for A&F, but I’m trying to keep the site G-Rated.
Abercrombie & Fitch model? I should probably take a look at those A&F model photos before you post them. You know…just to make sure they are appropriate for this audience. You surely wouldn’t want to offend anyone!!
Please forward them for review…..NOW!!
Unless KBR has a patented or trademarked documentation for the manufacturing process with a signed non-competition and or a non-disclosure agreement for what comes out the far end of a Bull, good luck.
It sounds like KBR management should turn themselves into the justice department for trying to sell this stuff.
Trust me!! if they could they would have the market cornered on BS production and distribution! Especially that damn Bill Bodie! And let’s not forget about Heather Browne!