How would you feel if you worked at BP? -- Career Center Blog

May 26, 2010

How would you feel if you worked at BP?

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By Michelle Goodman
NWjobs

To say that energy company BP has an image problem on its hands is likely the understatement of the year.

[Photo by hill.josh]

As if it weren't bad enough that 11 oil rig workers died in last month's offshore drilling explosion, Gulf Coast residents, business owners and politicians have lost their patience with the havoc the colossal oil leak has wreaked on their shores and livelihood. Round-the-clock media reports of the drilling disaster's oily aftermath, angry sound bites from the White House, dire speculations from scientists and environmentalists, and scathing statements from rig workers who survived the explosion aren't doing much to help BP's cause either.

So how might all this weigh on BP employees?

As MSNBC columnist Eve Tahmincioglu wrote last week, "Company calamities like the ones playing out at firms such as BP, Goldman Sachs, and Toyota do more than just impact a firm's reputation and bottom line. They also do a number on employees."

In other words, if an employer doesn't do some damage control with its own people, it could have another disaster on its hands. As Tahmincioglu's excellent piece points out, disillusionment, low morale, and feelings of shame about one's employer can often lead to low productivity, which in turn can lead to more on-the-job mistakes.

In times of crisis, the company that lacks transparency with its employees and doesn't own up to its mistakes in public isn't doing much to help retain the loyalty and support of its workers. A better bet, Tahmincioglu's article suggests, is to keep workers in the loop and give them a chance to ask questions, be it through web forums, an internal website, or companywide meetings or teleconferences.

Readers, how about you? Have you worked for an employer that's undergone a calamitous disaster or PR fiasco? How did those events make you feel? Did they affect your job performance? Your perception of the organization? What, if anything, did your employer do to boost worker morale and put your mind at ease?

Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail Michelle at mgoodman@nwjobs.com

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Cynthia on May 27, 2010 11:05 AM | Reply

Embarrassed comes to mind.

Nolan on May 27, 2010 2:25 PM | Reply

I was an employee of Microsoft for several years before I voluntarily resigned to escape its odious corporate 'culture.' My period of employment coincided with some of the company's more notorious corporate scandals, such as the DOJ and European antitrust suits. While some of us were clearly dismayed and discomfited at evidence of Microsoft's rampant corporate malfeasance and unethical practices, I was deeply disappointed to find that the reaction of most employees to these events was tight-lipped denial - perhaps not surprising in a milieu where selfishness rules.

Get A Job Loser on June 2, 2010 9:55 AM | Reply

I was talking to a friend the other day and his dad came up in the conversation. He hesitantly stated his dad works for BP. I can only imagine what it's like for his dad at cocktail parties when asked"What do you do?"

The proper response is "Well... I destroy coastal economies and coat sea birds in oil for money. You got a problem with that, hippie?"

Then you retreat to the appetizer table and assume defensive stance.

http://getajobloser.com