back to article Seagate sued for 'fraudulently hiring engineer'

Seagate is being sued for $2.7m by a laid-off engineer for allegedly inducing him to take a job that didn't exist. As reported in the St Paul's Pioneer Press, Chandramouli Vaidyanathan was hired by Seagate in February 2008 to move from a senior yield engineering job at Texas Instruments to join Seagate's Advanced Technology …

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  1. Gordon Pryra

    Gosh!!!

    When have I ever ended up doing what I was supposed to be doing?

    First rule of contracting. Never trust the recruiter.

    2nd Rule of contacting. Never burn any bridges.

    This guy seems to have broken them both

    1. Cameron Colley

      @Gordon Pryra

      But permanent work is different to contracting -- you generally get paid less but, in doing so, are supposed to have a contract of employment and certain rights. It seems this guy was treated like a contractor when he was a permanent employee -- and possibly even induced to sign a fraudulent contract.

      As for burning bridges -- simply leaving many companies will do that, at least to a degree, if you are a permanent member of staff. Again, this differs from contractors who are expected to "chase the money" a little since they're not expected to be loyal employees.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Cameron Colley

        Rights? OK so I don't know about US law, but here in Blighty a "permanent" employee probably has less rights than a contractor until they have served two full years.

        1. Tom 13

          @AC 25th October 2010 12:40 GMT

          I don't know about contract laws in Blighty, but if your representation is correct, the difference from US laws would be that in Blighty you gain some rights after two years. Most permanent employment in the US is at will, mostly your employers will.

          Rules will vary from State to State, hence the specific reference to Minnesota where the laws there likely is a case.

    2. Jimmy Floyd

      "Contractor?"

      What makes you think he was a contractor?

    3. buckie
      Happy

      3rd rule of contracting?

      Wade in like Paul Scholes without read the supporting material...

      ...no mention of him being a contractor??

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Flame

      Not just contracting

      For "contracting", read "getting a new job".

      Oh and third rule: never trust the people at a recruitment agency to have the faintest idea what they're talking about, make any effort at all to get you a new job, or still be working for the same agency next week.

  2. Pete 2 Silver badge

    I *really* hope he wins

    Companies need to realise they're messing with people's lives when they employ them. It's long past time that they fixed their casual attitude towards staff (such as calling them "resources", for example) and start acting as they would with any other business partner that they entered into a contractual arrangement with.

    We're always being told to tell the truth on CVs - that lies will be found out (riiiight) and we could get sacked for misrepresenting ourselves or our qualifications. However, when was the last time that the "exciting position with huge potential for advancement" turned out to be anything more than the same old sh... in a different building?

    1. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

      @Pete 2

      With an attitude like THAT sir...

      ...I want you representing me in parliment.

  3. Rogerborg

    If he can't get work elsewhere

    He wasn't worth having as an employee in the first place. I have found this to be universally true through several recessions.

    Really, you can piss and moan and sue your way through life - and a lot of people do - or you can network with other talented people during the good times, and throw lifelines to each other during the bad times.

    If you're not in such a network, then take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why.

    1. Tom 7

      Network? - oh a Union

      or just a collection of bigots:

      He's not one of us and not working so he must be a useless dole scrounger?

      What does a network do - apart from provide advantages that are not available to others?

      Worked for Gary Glitter I suppose...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      That's utter cod shite

      I happen to know of a Cambridge graduate, 15 years in the industry, several patents to his name, lots of published work, big network of contacts he'd built up over the years, and he's been struggling to find work for a few months now.

      It's true that those who are more talented and connected find getting a new job easier, but it's certainly not true that it *guarantees* you'll get a job in short order.

    3. There's a bee in my bot net

      (untitled)

      I've found 'networking' (and I refer to the non technical form) to be mainly about what people can get from each other for nothing. There are of course exceptions but it has been my experience that people will take your help and advice (for free) and give very little or nothing in return when you need help. Those job prospects talked about in hushed voices rarely turn out to be more than hot air.

  4. Tom 7

    Isnt this a form of outsourceing?

    Where you get another company to offer one of your staff a job so that they leave without you having to dismiss them with all their redundancy pay and other legal entitlements etc and then the other company lets you go asap?

    Its like constructive dismissal for the lazy.

    Wish the banks would practice it a bit with directorships... oh hang on.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    2.7m??

    Has he managed to increase the yield on his 'lost' earnings??

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Couldn't find work?

    I think he'll find that whether or not this action is successful nobody will want to employ him in future.

    1. David 45

      In the money

      If successful, presumably he won't NEED to work!

  7. Pete 48
    Joke

    Time Wasted

    He owes me 2.7m for the time i spent trying to pronounce his name.

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