Hikvision RSM Professional Misconduct

What kind of ethics does Hikvision have when a Hikvision executive, at a legal hearing, preposterously claims that his salesperson goes to ADI as a "volunteer" and "doesn't get paid for it"?

Although I doubt you would ever get an answer from Hikvision, it would be interesting to find out if Hikvision reimbursed him for the $500 misconduct fine associated to his "volunteering".

Oh, boy. 

Lots of RSMs- sorry, I mean "instructors"- from lots of companies are too loose with CEUs, giving an hour-long sales pitch thinly disguised as a class in order to qualify. But to just hand out CEUs without even the fig leaf of educational content makes a mockery of the entire system. But of course Hikvision has never felt itself to be above playing fast and loose to make a quick buck. 

I wonder if this will encourage New Jersey to crack down on the entire CEU system. 

Are they saying he was volunteering his time, or that he didn't get paid by the attendees.

Lots of people teach courses at a disty/disty event.  The course if offered for free to the attendees.  The disty doesn't pay either.  Rather, the RSM is a paid employee of the manufacturer and is being paid by the manufacturer for their normal time as a sales person engaged in sales activity, even if it is an educational opportunity....

The other point I am confused in is the filled in certificate.  It is a problem to have them filled in already for the attendees with the course name/date/location, etc. already filled in?  Obviously, leaving them behind for months is a problem.

So confused... So strange... typical Hikvision.

I recently attended a Hik cyber security session, and it was interesting about cyber security in where it came from, who the actors are, and how to distinguish different types of threats, but it didn't give any actual advise or steps to be taken except for changing password and checking ports...

Unfortunately this is a comedy of errors. I don’t believe that there was any intent by the RSM, but he admitted to and paid the fine.

I guess Zenaty was put into a tough position. How do you go about defending this?  It was careless. He should have said that training is part of his job description, and is provided as a service, whether for CEU’s or in general, but isn’t compensated per training class.

Notice to all manufacturers working in NJ, if you provide training, do your due diligence and properly follow through.

The authority in NJ is trying to protect the dealers involved. Yes, they did not pay for the course, but each dealer paid someone to attend. These regulations are there to protect dealers from attending trainings with the expectation that they will count toward their licensing requirements. It’s NJ’s rules. If you want to play in their sandbox, follow along.

I am actually in shock that an agency investigated this. 

I'm thrilled for the information and could care less about who was investigated. 

I am one who has been regulated by agencies and did things 'by the books' while watching others profit by 'working the system' and when they were turned in, absolutely nothing happened.  No investigation, to action because there wasn't the manpower.

As for Hikvision and this person, you are a paid employee, just not specifically paid to do these courses.  I don't feel there is a 'gray area' here, but I also don't think it was given much thought since this is the first enforcement case I have heard of in many years.  He probably did just leave the forms and forget.  It happens.  Maybe it's time to have a central repository with numbered CEU certificates.

Think about the professional industries you count on that require CEU's to keep licensed.  Let's think about pedestrian bridge designers, for example. 

How would you feel if a report came out that a large percentage of CEU's were passed out without attending the courses and your doctor or dentist was one receiving them?  It ranks up there with diploma mills.

Frankly, I fail to see the importance of being paid.  If you are going to participate, whether you are paid or not, you should as a standard, comply with the rules.  And no, I don't live in a perfect world.  But you have to at least try.

A larger issue for me is if the RSM would do this, as small as some might see the infraction, what else would they do?  Can I trust them when they are in my shop? 

I have referred this matter to the highest certification authority in New Jersey, Jeffrey D. Zwirn, CPP, CFPS, CFE, FACFEI, CHS-IV,P SET, CCI, MBAT:

He will not be amused...