Clients wants my report on their letter
Clients wants my report on their letter
(OP)
I provide independent Professional Engineering services to a client. They have me perform independent site evaluations. I like doing work for the company.
Recently, they provided a new template and have asked that I write reports on their company letterhead featuring their company logo. They'd like all of the site evaluation reports to look the same.
Is there any ethical issues with putting my report, seal, and signature on a report on a report sporting my clients letterhead?
Thanks
Recently, they provided a new template and have asked that I write reports on their company letterhead featuring their company logo. They'd like all of the site evaluation reports to look the same.
Is there any ethical issues with putting my report, seal, and signature on a report on a report sporting my clients letterhead?
Thanks





RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
Garth Dreger PE - AZ Phoenix area
As EOR's we should take the responsibility to design our structures to support the components we allow in our design per that industry standards.
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
In this case your client is providing a report for others to use (in the public realm) so they must typically have a certificate of authorization as they (the company) are providing engineering services (through you, but under their banner).
As woodman88 noted, check with your state board. I don't think it is an ethical issue, but a legal one.
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
The report isn't for others to use. I don't want to say the specifics of my particular client, but will use a similiar example.
Say the city of Los Angeles hired me to do an evaluation of a sewer main. They've asked me to write the report on City of Los Angeles letterhead.
This particular work doesn't require a certificate of authorization. I do it under my own name (no company involved) and the report is only for the client.
Woodman, like your suggestion.
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
I don't see anything in the P.E. code that would keep me from doing it, it is the tax code that scares me.
David
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
But, you have zero control over what the client does with your report later. They may be using your reports to their own ends, and if you agree to their arrangement, you will have failed your due diligence and become entangled in whatever they're doing, which may be illegal.
We just went through ethics training at work, and this situation is what is called a "red flag." The only plausible reason that they would want your report on their letterhead is hide the fact that they aren't doing the work themselves. This is definitely a red flag situation, and you need to amp up your defenses or you'll get dragged down into the mire when they get caught.
TTFN
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RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
Company ABC Letter Head
Attached is report from Photoengineer LLC for Project X.
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
You could phrase your contract with your client in such a way that you're only providing them engineering labor, and they're in responsible charge of the document, and then make them stamp it and hold you harmless.
Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
RE: Clients wants my report on their letter
If there was ever an issue that required use of the report as evidence than a report that was clearly labelled with the logo of another company would be seen as more independent than one which was under the clients logo. An independent report generally holds more sway than an internal one.
I have the opposite problem with many of our reports here in that I need to get another external consultant to do some condition surveys as I cannot be deemed independent as I am an employee of the company.