To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
Subject: Limit QA scope on Vibrante
Dawayne,
Engineering’s getting out-of-scope questions from someone on your team about the Vibrante data.
Reminder: your team is supposed to be looking for issues with ease-of-use and accuracy for the Vibrante device personal fitness features (steps, heartbeat, weight). I understand there may have been confusion because of the additional data fields coming in.
Just ignore those. That additional data is being QA-d by a third-party, overseas group.
And it wouldn’t hurt to remind everyone of their non-disclosure agreements.
Thanks,
Liz
Liz Ferry
Manager, Vibrante Fitness
DataNex
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: Product Group request
Take a look at the email from Liz Ferry I just forwarded. I’d appreciate your help in addressing her concerns about the data scope. So just ignore that “extra” data. It’s nothing we need to be looking at.
And please check with me in the future before sending any questions to Engineering.
Cheers,
D-man
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Samantha Cook-QA
Subject: Re: Product Group request
Dawayne,
Did you know that extra data is medical data? Heartbeat patterns, respiration, pulse measurements, etc. Looks like we’re going to market the Vibrante as a medical device after the FDA is phased out in 2019.
I contacted Engineering because the heartbeat data was in an alert zone for three users in Comette’s employee fitness incentive program. They said not to worry, but I did some digging and it looks as through these three people are experiencing periods of ventricular tachycardia.
My sister died of sudden cardiac arrest playing softball in high school. We found out later that she had undiagnosed heart problems and probably had ventricular tachycardia before she went into sudden cardiac arrest.
Someone in Liz’s group needs to contact the companies who have those employees in the Vibrante program and advise them to get them to a cardiologist (a regular medical exam won’t detect this type of problem). Also, to have them stop doing the fitness program.
—Sami
Samantha Cook
QA Specialist
Vibrante Team
DataNex
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: Re: Product Group request
Thanks for your vigilance. I’ll pass your message up to Liz’s team in case they haven’t already gotten it from their QA contractors.
Cheers,
Dawayne
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Samantha Cook-QA
Subject: Re: Product Group request
You’ll need to give Liz the IDs for the users with the cardiac data issues:
5-2889 (female, 49, Comette group)
8-3445 (male, 24, Lumar Electric group)
8-0871 (male, 45, Cebardok group)
The first two are assigned to a 3x/week, high-intensity cardio program—very scary!
—Sami
Samantha Cook
QA Specialist
Vibrante Team
DataNex
To: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: User data—3 alerts
Liz,
See below from Samantha Cook. It looks like she’s spotted a serious problem with three of the employee fitness program participants. You’ve probably already had this reported by the outside QA group, but I wanted to make sure.
What with medical data, employee confidentiality, that sort of thing, this is probably a little tricky. Obviously, I’m not sure what agreements we have in place with the participants or their companies.
Best,
Dawayne
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
Subject: Re: User data—3 alerts
Dawayne,
Not to worry.
Our QA contractor has spotted that data and we’ve contacted the companies. All taken care of.
Just a reminder: No member of your team is authorized to contact any individual user, or any representative of the customer companies that are implementing the Vibrante program with their employees.
Best,
Liz
Liz Ferry
Manager, Vibrante Fitness
DataNex
Sticky note left on Dawayne Johnson’s desk:
5-2889 is still doing the cardio. Another episode of v. tachycardia. Can we contact this woman directly? Need name, contact info.
—S
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: Short meeting
Stop by my office after lunch and let’s talk about progress on your new project.
Dawayne
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
Instant Message, 9:07 a.m.
To: Samantha Cook
From: Dawayne Johnson
Where are you? We missed you at the 8:30 meeting.
Instant Message, 9:21 a.m.
To: Samantha Cook
From: Dawayne Johnson
Urgent. PHONE me.
To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
Subject line: Serious issue with QA
Dawayne,
Tried calling you. I just got a call from the director of HR at Comette.
She was approached outside their company fitness facility this morning by a young woman who saw her wearing a Vibrante device and then asked “some odd questions” about her health. She said the young woman approached four other women wearing the Vibrante. Call me immediately.
Liz
Liz Ferry
Manager, Vibrante Fitness
DataNex
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Marcus Jiang-Hewitt-HR
Cc: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: Probation Period
Samantha:
You have been placed on probation for a period of six weeks, beginning today. During this time, your attendance and performance will be monitored and feedback provided by your manager on a weekly basis.
In addition, you are advised to meet with a counselor from one of the third-party agencies available to DataNex employees. A list is attached.
Please contact me or a member of the HR staff with any questions.
Best regards,
Marcus
Marcus Jiang-Hewitt
Manager, Human Resources
DataNex
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
CC: Prisha Joshi-PRO
Subject: New assignment with Simplix-Tone
Hi Sami,
Starting Monday, you’ll be doing QA for Prisha Joshi’s team on the Simplix-Tone. They’ve got a desk set up for you in L Building. I think you’ll enjoy them.
I’ll send you meeting requests for the follow-ups HR wants.
Cheers,
Dawayne
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
To: Samantha Cook-QA
From: Dawayne Johnson-QA
Subject: Good news
Hi Sami,
Just talked with Product Group.
Liz Ferry asked me to let you know that the users you were concerned about have been removed from the Vibrante program.
Thought you’d want to know.
Hope you’re enjoying the work on Simplix-Tone. Looking forward to hearing about it at our Thursday meeting.
Cheers,
Dawayne
Dawayne Johnson
Manager, Quality Assurance
DataNex
To: Dawayne Johnson-QA
From: Samantha Cook-QA
Subject: Re: Good news
Dawayne Johnson-QA wrote:
Liz Ferry asked me to let you know that the users you were concerned about have been removed from the Vibrante program.
“Removed from the Vibrante program”?
Lily Pang was removed from her job. I tracked her down. When Comette let her go, they didn’t tell her anything about a heart problem, or advise her to see a cardiologist. They just mysteriously “eliminated” her job.
And she was the lucky one. Mark Richardson? The 24-year-old guy from Lumar Electric? He’s been “removed” too—because he went into sudden cardiac arrest and died.
Comette and Lumar are using our data to find employees at risk for heart problems—maybe other health problems—and get rid of them! Does Liz’s team have any idea?
—Samantha
Samantha Cook
QA Specialist
Simplix-Tone Team
DataNex
To: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
From: P. Ellis Nevars-LEGAL
Cc: Marcus Jiang-Hewitt-HR, Mariette Prudomme-SECURITY
Subject: Changes at OSHA
Liz,
You are correct. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s mandate to investigate corporate whistleblower-retaliation complaints (The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, Pub.L. 101-12 as amended) was largely eliminated as of March 15. There was an exception for the transportation industry.
We have already briefed HR and Security about the implications for DataNex, but I appreciate your checking with me to confirm. Please let me know if you require any additional information.
Best regards,
Perry
P. Ellis Nevars
Associate Corporate Counsel
DataNex
To: Luther Beckshire-EXEC
From: Liz Ferry-PRODUCT GROUP
Subject: Vibrante Updates
Luther,
Wanted to assure you that everything is fixed now.
Security conducted the exit interviews with the two former employees yesterday evening. We are confident that they will not be sharing any proprietary information about the Vibrante with outside organizations. There had been an attempt to send screenshots from a company laptop to an external server, but Security anticipated and dealt with that breach.
I’ve also gone over procedures with the external QA contractor to make sure companies are getting employee data alerts on a daily, rather than weekly, basis. Their slow response, plus some errors by Comette’s HR/Legal, contributed to the problem. We’re monitoring them going forward.
Sales met last week with two Fortune 500 companies and one government agency interested in the Vibrante program for large, multi-site employee groups. All three are ready to begin using our enhanced data capabilities for HR purposes as soon as the FDA is out of the picture. We’re drawing up contracts.
Two of the prospects asked about getting data on employee galvanic skin responses for use by their internal security teams. Can you put some pressure on Gil and Engineering to fast-track those sensor features for the 2020 rollout? Marketing is working up a GSR pricing model that dovetails with sales goals. We can go over it at tomorrow’s meeting.
Best regards,
Liz
Liz Ferry
Manager, Vibrante Fitness
DataNex