GuyOil forces employees to sign non- disclosure agreement

Jun 15, 2018 News

By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell
The Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) yesterday made its employees sign non-disclosure agreements.
GuyOil had a staff meeting at the National Cultural Centre where several announcements were made. At that forum, workers attached to the State-owned company were told that it is mandatory to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
This instruction comes just 10 days after Kaieteur News published an article highlighting that the company created two new positions and ranked one of the positions second in the company. The company then filled that position with Shundell Brotherson who was a sitting member of the Board.
Kaieteur News quoted immediate employees of GuyOil stating that Brotherson’s qualifications are not in keeping with what was required. Also, employees shared with this newspaper a document from an independent firm that told GuyOil that the hiring of Brotherson would raise “ethical issues” being that she was a sitting member of the Board.
Also, of the six persons shortlisted by that firm, Brotherson ranked second to last. The firm, that was paid to shortlist the candidates for the position, also noted that others who applied were more qualified for the job.
Further, Kaieteur News understands that GuyOil only turned to that firm after another private firm presented a shortlist that did not include Brotherson.
To get this position, Brotherson had to be interviewed and approved by her colleagues on the Board.
The position of Corporate Services Manager attracts an over $530,000 basic salary per month; cell phone, vehicle and other allowances are not included in that sum.
Further, employees note that five persons are currently operating in positions for which they are not qualified, “this is the case while qualified persons are being stifled. Some of these people do not even have a diploma.”
This year, GuyOil fired its Marketing and Sales Manager Eric Whaul. Finance Manager Uma Joseph – Daniels was instructed to resign. Also, within the last year, at least five senior managers parted ties with the company. There were about three acting CEO’s.
The employees who spoke to Kaieteur News on the grounds of anonymity said, “Make no mistake, GuyOil is still financially sound. But if we continue along this trajectory, the current successes will quickly disappear.”
The non-disclosure document that employees signed made it clear that information about employment should not be leaked.

Below is an extract from the document.

“FOR GOOD CONSIDERATION, and in consideration of being employed by The Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), the undersigned employee hereby agrees and acknowledges:
1. That during the course of my employ there may be disclosed to me certain trade secrets of the Company; said trade secrets consisting but not necessarily limited to:
(a) Technical information: Methods, processes, formulae, compositions, systems, techniques, inventions, machines, computer programs and research projects.
(b) Business information: Customer lists, pricing data, sources of supply, financial data and marketing, production, or merchandising systems or plans.
2. I agree that I shall not during, or at any time after the termination of my employment with the Company, use for myself or others, or disclose or divulge to others including future employees, any trade secrets, confidential information including personnel/personal employee data/information, or any other proprietary data of the Company in violation of this agreement.
3. That upon the termination of my employment from the Company:
(a) I shall return to the Company all documents and property of the Company, including but not necessarily limited to: drawings, blueprints, reports, manuals, correspondence, customer lists, computer programs, and all other materials and all copies thereof relating in any way to the Company’s business, or in any way obtained by me during the course of employ. I further agree that I shall not retain copies, notes or abstracts of the foregoing.
(b) The Company may notify any future or prospective employer or third party of the existence of this agreement, and shall be entitled to full injunctive relief for any breach.
(c) This agreement shall be binding upon me and my personal representatives and successors in interest, and shall inure to the benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns.”