Conflict of interest?

[Picture North Carolina]

So what do you do when you are handling lots of assignments for a publisher, but accidentally discover that the Art Director you have been working with has recently opened his own photography business and is doing guess what... stuff for the publications.

Guess there's not much, really, but do you bring the subject up? Hide behind cars in the parking lot and shove a pie in his face, or just start looking for new outlets?

Still getting assignments, but they have slowed down. Assumed it was because of the economy, but now it looks like it might be something else... wonder what that is! ;)

Anybody else deal with insider conflicts like this?

[MJPhotos24]

A few years ago I got an e-mail from a "fan" who wanted advice, being bored I decided to answer his questions and give some advice. Later I found out he was a little more than a fan, he worked for a company I submitted to often and had deep pockets - he went out and bought expensive gear and started shooting taking away a lot of business because of a deal he worked out with the company he worked for. Though he doesn't see it that way many other photographers did and stopped submitting to the company angry at the deal. Still submitted though it took a hit on my priority list, still friends with him and the owner of the company as really both are good people. However, priorities shifted to other places. Nothing much you can do.

[Picture North Carolina]

I should have also added he's not just the Art Director. He's also the Assignment Editor - he decides which photographers get the work.

[MJPhotos24]

Welcome to the world of photography - cuz you can take a wild guess what the guy I mentioned was - he was one of the guys deciding images for usage :)

[noxcuses1]

...

[MJPhotos24]

That really has no bearing on the conversation at hand...at least the OP, didn't look at the last few pages that it's grown into.

[Picture North Carolina]

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=623892

What does an assignment editor giving himself the jobs he used to give photographers have to do with illegal posting of images on a website?

[amccomis]

You might figure out what it's worth to you if you do report it, versus letting it go unreported.

You could find out who he reports to (executive director of creative or something like that?) and present the evidence to that person anonymously.

If it's a big corporation, they likely have a human resources department, and although they typically would handle employee-vs-employee or employee-vs-manager complaints, having a complaint lodged about a conflict-of-interest would not be outside their interests to pursue.

Also, if they routinely hire contracted help, there is likely someone in purchasing or procurement that signs off on invoices being submitted... surely a Controller or CFO would be interested in someone internally doing such double-dipping.

I used to work for a corporation that was very conscious about conflict of interest situations, and proactively communicated business ethics issues, including example scenarios that people can relate to in real life situations to their employees.

Good luck... but be careful what a takedown can do for/to you.

[MJPhotos24]

There's honestly nothing a complaint will do - I can come up with a list of this happening, hell in many newspapers and organizations they are cutting back there photo staff and handing P&S's to the writers. HOWEVER, one thing that came to mind is this...

If he's collecting money as both an assignment director and photographer - double dipping - then there's a legit complaint.

If he's doing it as part of his job and not getting paid extra it seems to be just an extra duty he's given himself to save the company money.

So yea, there could see a big conflict of interest if he's getting paid for it but while on the clock for them anyways.

[Picture North Carolina]

I understand what you are suggesting, but I don't think it would be prudent to stir up a mess. The Publisher-in-Chief delegates total control to lower editors. If I stirred the soup, something might be said to him, but ultimately he would probably not be fired which would mean that the guy who now doesn't like me very much is still handing out assignments... of which I don't think I would see too many of. ;) So there's probably nothing that can be done.

I've had about 60% of the eggs in my basket with this company and my wife has always been critical of that. Looks like she was right. Time to shop services around, I guess. Bad time to do it, tho.

[MJPhotos24]

60% in one basket is tough for anyone freelancing! In '07 I had one client that was about 26% of my income and they scaled back in '08 and went from 26% to maybe 5%, which of course hurt big time. However, spread those eggs around to a lot more clients and did better off overall.

[Picture North Carolina]

60% in one basket is tough for anyone freelancing! In '07 I had one client that was about 26% of my income and they scaled back in '08 and went from 26% to maybe 5%, which of course hurt big time. However, spread those eggs around to a lot more clients and did better off overall.

Yea, I realize that and it was a mistake. But it was one of those situations where the client kept me so busy I had no time for other stuff. So what do you do in a situation like that - turn the jobs down "hoping" you will get work from another? I couldn't, so I accepted it.

[MJPhotos24]

Yea, it's a tough situation and I know a few that are in it. You hope and if they start to scale back you start to expand, or at least they give you a heads up of what's happening so you know to plan - which you obviously didn't have. I know last year they told me early so I was able to prepare and come up with a game plan to get that extra income, which worked.