From mmreturn@magnetdev.com  Tue Jan  5 07:30:17 2010
Return-Path: <mmreturn@magnetdev.com>
Received: from mail35.magnet101.com (mail35.magnet101.com [209.18.93.35])
	by smtp.XXXXXXX.XXX (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id o05FUDgs025263
	for <XXX@XXXXXXXX.XXXXXXX.XXX>; Tue, 5 Jan 2010 07:30:16 -0800
Message-Id: <201001051530.o05FUDgs025263@smtp.XXXXXXX.XXX>
Received: from MAGNETMAIL1 (172.17.35.1) by mail35.magnet101.com id h8ddgg0ir20i for <XXX@XXXXXXXX.XXXXXXX.XXX>; Tue, 5 Jan 2010 10:30:11 -0500 (envelope-from <mmreturn@magnetdev.com>)
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:30:10 -0500
From: editor@principalinvestigators.org
To: <XXX@XXXXXXXX.XXXXXXX.XXX>
Subject: Your Issue: January 5, 2010
X-TokenInfo-NoToken:
X-Bps1: 4644490748
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_NextPart_000_898625_201015_103010937"
X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=1.12.8161:2.4.5,1.2.40,4.0.166 definitions=2010-01-05_09:2010-01-05,2010-01-05,2010-01-05 signatures=0
X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=100 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx engine=5.0.0-0908210000 definitions=main-1001050106

--_NextPart_000_898625_201015_103010937
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

PI e-Alert features expert advice on managerial and administrative challeng=
es which confront Principal Investigators in every field of science researc=
h.=20

No. 10, January 4-8, 2010

Managerial: Charged with Defamation?

               =20
Reader Question:=A0=A0

One of my lab techs wants to transfer to another lab on our campus.  Its PI=
 happens to be a good friend of mine.  The employee wants me to provide a g=
ood reference, but truth is she is irresponsible and I'm glad to get rid of=
 her.  Do I dare write my colleague the truth about his prospective hire? W=
ould I risk being charged with defamation?  What about merely "whispering" =
the situation to him over a drink?               =20

               =20
Expert Comments:=A0

There is an old joke that internal transfers are the easiest way to get rid=
 of a marginal employee and make him/her someone else's headache.  Your dil=
emma really is that "the someone else" is your friend.  At the heart of wha=
t you want to know is (1) whether there are legal repercussions if you spea=
k your truth and (2) the etiquette around putting a close colleague on the =
receiving end of your offloaded problem, if you don't.  Maybe even more imp=
ortantly is what you mean by "irresponsible" and whether that same trait wi=
ll manifest in your friend's lab group?

First off, let's put the legalities in perspective. Defamation is an expres=
s or implied claim that puts an individual in a negative light. It has to b=
e printed (libel) or spoken (slander) to a third party (published) to be ac=
tionable.  There is no doubt that speaking or writing derogatory informatio=
n about another can provide an opportunity for them to sue you.  The good n=
ews though is that if you can prove that your statements are true, it is a =
complete defense and you=20

View the remainder of the expert comments at: XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators=
.org/news.php

Comments by=A0Susan Parker, J.D., President, Corporate Content, Inc

Agree? Disagree?=A0Submit your comments at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.or=
g/news.php


			??Preview of Next Week's Question??

No. 11, January 11-15, 2010

Reader Question:=A0

Often times I see vendors that offer an ipod orother gadget or gift certifi=
cate if you purchase a certain amount of product. What are the rules regard=
ing this when you are using federal grant dollars and are at a public Unive=
rsity? Are the rules different depending on funding source or your employer?

Submit your early-bird questions at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.org/news.=
php

________________________________________________________________________
Missed Last Weeks's Question?

Reader Question:=20

A month ago I was flying to a convention of my research specialty in San Fr=
ancisco, and in one of my checked bags was my notebook computer and three d=
iscs of raw data (non-encrypted) on about 800 patients we have enrolled in =
a clinical trial.  But the airline lost the bag in transit. Of course, I fi=
led a "lost bag" claim with them, but no trace of it yet. Little hope now. =
I have heard there is some new law called HITECH that applies to lost data.=
 What should I do at this point?  Should I already have done anything?=20

View the expert comments at XXXXXXXprincipalinvestigators.org/news.php

________________________________________________________________________
This issue was brought to you as a service by=A0Principal Investigators Ass=
ociation. If you have general questions or comments contact us at=A0editor@=
principalinvestigators.org.

                * Please note that in some cases the unsubscribe links in t=
hese messages can become broken by the way that an email program displays t=
he message. If you are having trouble unsubscribing you may also forward th=
is message to unsubscribe@principalinvestigators.org=A0with the word 'remov=
e' in the email message subject line.

                Principal Investigators Association=A0

                  3565 10th St N, Suite B

                  Naples, FL 34103 USA

                  (800) 303-0129=0A=0D*************************************=
*************************  =0A3565 10th Street N, Naples, FL 34103  =0A****=
**********************************************************=0AUse this link =
to unsubscribe:
XXXXXXXwww.magnetmail.net/Actions/unsubscribe.cfm?message_id=3D898625&user_=
id=3DPRININVEST&recipient_id=3DXXXXXXXXX&email=3DXXX@XXXXXXXX.XXXXXXX.XXX&gro=
up_id=3D421269

--_NextPart_000_898625_201015_103010937
Content-Type: text/html; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

				  					  					  =09
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "XXXXXXXwww.=
w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns=3D"XXXXXXXwww.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<<head>
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Language" content=3D"en-us" />
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8" />
<title>PI e-ALERT</title>
<style>
<!--
.style19 {
	font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
	font-size: x-small;
	text-align: left;
	border: 2px solid #FF0000;
}
.style20 {
	font-size: small;
	font-family: Biondi;
}
.style11 {
	font-size: small;
}
-->
</style>
<base target=3D"_parent">
</head>

<body bgcolor=3D"#CCCCCC">

<p align=3D"center"><font face=3D"sans-serif" size=3D"1">0Please add "<a hr=
ef=3D"mailto:editor@principalinvestigators.org">editor@principalinvestigato=
rs.org</a>"=20
to your whitelist or address book, so that you have no trouble receiving fu=
ture=20
issues!</font></p>
<table align=3D"center" bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF" style=3D"width: 570px; height: =
600px" cellpadding=3D"4" border=3D"2" bordercolor=3D"#FF0000">
	<tr>
		<td valign=3D"top" style=3D"width: 570px">
		<img src=3D"XXXXXXXimages.magnetmail.net/images/clients/PRININVEST/PIeAle=
rt_banner.gif" width=3D"570" height=3D"121"><br>
=A0<table width=3D"570"> <tbody>
			<tr>
				<td>
					<p align=3D"left"><font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif"><b>PI e-Alert=20
					weekly e-zine is delivered worldwide.</b></font>
					<font size=3D"2" face=3D"sans-serif">Feel free to
					<a href=3D"mailto:?subject=3DPI e-ALERT weekly">share</a> this issue w=
ith friends and colleagues.<a href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3D=
XXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294005&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2=
url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D473844"> Subscribe=20
					Today!</a><a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=
=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294006&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXw=
ww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D470817"></a></font=
></p>
				</td>
		</tr>
		</table>		<table width=3D"570">
			<tr>
				<td>
					<p align=3D"left">
					<font face=3D"sans-serif" style=3D"font-size: 7pt">PI e-Alert </font><=
font face=3D"sans-serif" style=3D"font-size: 7pt">features expert=20
					advice on managerial and administrative challenges which confront=20
					Principal Investigators in every field of science research.=20
					If such matters are not of interest to you or your associates,=20
					please accept our apologies and "unsubscribe" at the bottom of=20
					the page.</font></p>
				</td>
			</tr>
		</table>
        <hr style=3D"height: 1px; width: 570px;" noshade color=3D"#FF0000">
		<table style=3D"width: 570px; font-size: 12px;">
			<tr>
				<td><p align=3D"right">No. 10, January 4-8, 2010</p>
                <p><b><font face=3D"sans-serif" size=3D"3"><u>Managerial:</=
u></font><br />
                <br />
                </b><font face=3D"sans-serif" size=3D"5"><b>Charged with De=
famation?</b></font><br />
                </strong><br />
                <font size=3D"3"><strong>Reader Question:=A0</strong><stron=
g>=A0</strong><em>One of my lab techs wants to transfer to another lab on o=
ur campus.  Its PI happens to be a good friend of mine.  The employee wants=
 me to provide a good reference, but truth is she is irresponsible and I'm =
glad to get rid of her.  Do I dare write my colleague the truth about his p=
rospective hire? Would I risk being charged with defamation?  What about me=
rely "whispering" the situation to him over a drink?</em></font>           =
    =20
                <font size=3D"3">
                <p align=3D"left"><strong>Expert Comments:</strong>=A0There=
 is an old joke that internal transfers are the easiest way to get rid of a=
 marginal employee and make him/her someone else's headache.  Your dilemma =
really is that "the someone else" is your friend.  At the heart of what you=
 want to know is (1) whether there are legal repercussions if you speak you=
r truth and (2) the etiquette around putting a close colleague on the recei=
ving end of your offloaded problem, if you don't.  Maybe even more importan=
tly is what you mean by "irresponsible" and whether that same trait will ma=
nifest in your friend's lab group?</p>
                <p align=3D"left">First off, let's put the legalities in pe=
rspective. Defamation is an express or implied claim that puts an individua=
l in a negative light. It has to be printed (libel) or spoken (slander) to =
a third party (published) to be actionable.  There is no doubt that speakin=
g or writing derogatory information about another can provide an opportunit=
y for them to sue you.  The good news though is that if you can prove that =
your statements are true, it is a complete defense and you </p>
<p align=3D"right"><a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.c=
fm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294007&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3Dhttp=
://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D473845">View t=
he remainder of the expert comments</a></p>
                <p><em>Comments by=A0<strong>Susan Parker,</strong> J.D., P=
resident, Corporate Content, Inc</em></p>
                <p align=3D"center">Agree? Disagree?=A0<a target=3D"_blank"=
 href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D829400=
8&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?Merch=
antID=3D163022&AdID=3D473846">Submit your comments</a></p></font>
              <p>=A0</p></td> </tr>
			<tr>
			  <td>=A0</td>
		  </tr></table><hr style=3D"height: 1px; width: 570px;" noshade color=3D"=
#FF0000">
		<table width=3D"100%">
			<tr>
				<td><p align=3D"center"><strong><em>??Preview of Next Week's Question??=
</em></strong></p>
                <p align=3D"right">No. 11, January 11-15, 2010</p>
                <p align=3D"left"><strong>Reader Question:=A0</strong><em>O=
ften times I see vendors that offer an iPod or other gadget or gift certifi=
cate if you purchase a certain amount of product. What are the rules
regarding this when you are using federal grant dollars and are at a
public University? Are the rules different depending on funding source or
your employer?
</em></p>
                <br />
                <p align=3D"center"><a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"XXXXXXXwww=
.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294009&m=3D898625&u=3DPR=
ININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=
=3D473847"><img src=3D"XXXXXXXimages.magnetmail.net/images/clients/PRININVE=
ST/EarlyBird.gif" alt=3D"Early-bird comments" border=3D"0" />=A0</a>=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =A0=A0<a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"http:/=
/www.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294010&m=3D898625&u=
=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022=
&AdID=3D473848"><img src=3D"XXXXXXXimages.magnetmail.net/images/clients/PRI=
NINVEST/OwnQuestion.gif" alt=3D"Submit your own question" border=3D"0" align=
=3D"absbottom" /></a></p></td>
            </tr></table><br />
<hr noshade=3D"noshade" color=3D"#FF0000" /> <table> <tbody> <tr><td width=
=3D"390"><p align=3D"left"><strong><em>Missed Last Weeks's Question?</em></=
strong></p> <p align=3D"left"><strong>Reader Question: </strong><font size=
=3D"3"><em>A month ago I was flying to a convention of my research specialt=
y in San Francisco, and in one of my checked bags was my notebook computer =
and three discs of raw data (non-encrypted) on about 800 patients we have e=
nrolled in a clinical trial.  But the airline lost the bag in transit. Of c=
ourse, I filed a "lost bag" claim with them, but no trace of it yet. Little=
 hope now. I have heard there is some new law called HITECH that applies to=
 lost data. What should I do at this point?  Should I already have done any=
thing?</em></font></p>=20
<p align=3D"right"><a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.c=
fm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294011&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3Dhttp=
://www.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D473849">View t=
he expert comments</a></p><br /> <p></p></td> <td width=3D"10" valign=3D"to=
p" rowspan=3D"2"> </td> <td width=3D"160" valign=3D"top">  <p align=3D"cent=
er">Don't miss January's featured audio conference <a href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mm=
send7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294012&m=3D898625&u=3DPRINI=
NVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D=
473146">"Writing Successful Proposals":</a><a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"htt=
p://www.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8294013&m=3D898625=
&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=3D1630=
22&AdID=3D473851"><img src=3D"XXXXXXXimages.magnetmail.net/images/clients/P=
RININVEST/LiveAudio012610x.gif" alt=3D"AC Banner" width=3D"150" height=3D"2=
90" border=3D"0"></a>  </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td width=3D"160"> </td> </tr> =
</table><br /> <hr style=3D"height: 1px; width: 570px;" noshade color=3D"#F=
F0000"> <table width=3D"100%"> <tr> <td><p align=3D"center"><a target=3D"_b=
lank" href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=3D8=
294014&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.on2url.com/app/adtrack.asp?=
MerchantID=3D163022&AdID=3D473853"><img src=3D"XXXXXXXimages.magnetmail.net=
/images/clients/PRININVEST/SubNoCharge2.gif" alt=3D"Subscribe" width=3D"152=
" height=3D"62" border=3D"0" /></a></p></td>
            </tr>
          </tbody>
        </table>
        <hr noshade=3D"noshade" color=3D"#FF0000" />
        <table width=3D"100%" bgcolor=3D"#CCCCCC">
          <tbody>
            <tr>
              <td bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF">This issue was brought to you as a se=
rvice by=A0<em>Principal Investigators Association</em>. If you have genera=
l questions or comments contact us at=A0<a href=3D"mailto:editor@principali=
nvestigators.org">editor@principalinvestigators.org</a>.
                <p>* Please note that in some cases the unsubscribe links i=
n these messages can become broken by the way that an email program display=
s the message. If you are having trouble unsubscribing you may also forward=
 this message to <a href=3D"mailto:unsubscribe@principalinvestigators.org">=
unsubscribe@principalinvestigators.org</a>=A0with the word 'remove' in the =
email message subject line.</p>
                <p align=3D"center">Principal Investigators Association=A0<=
br />
                  3565 10th St N, Suite B<br />
                  Naples, FL 34103 USA<br />
                  (800) 303-0129</p></td>
            </tr>
          </tbody>
        </table></td>
    </tr>
  <td bgcolor=3D"#FFDBFF"></tbody>
</table>
</body>
</html>			=09
			=09
				<p align=3D"center">
Click <a href=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/ls.cfm?r=3DXXXXXXXXX&sid=
=3D8294015&m=3D898625&u=3DPRININVEST&s=3DXXXXXXXwww.magnetmail.net/Actions/=
unsubscribe.cfm?message_id=3D898625&user_id=3DPRININVEST&recipient_id=3D=
XXXXXXXXX&email=3DXXX@XXXXXXXX.XXXXXXX.XXX&group_id=3D421269">here</a> to unsubs=
cribe.</p><br><P align=3Dcenter><FONT size=3D2>3565 10th Street N, Naples, =
FL 34103</FONT></P><br>=0A	<img src=3D"XXXXXXXwww.mmsend7.com/spacer.cfm?tr=
acking_id=3DXXXXXXXXXX">

--_NextPart_000_898625_201015_103010937--