CHE LAWS,

CONTRACTS &
ETHICS

Date of Submission:
September 17, 2021
Question 1

Engr. C is a registered chemical engineer and works for a engineering design firm with

specialization in the petroleum industry. He was given a task to design and provide specification

for an industrial plant including the manufacturing process and equipment designs. He was

required to submit his designs and specification to obtain government approval. [RELEVANT

LEGISLATIONS FOR CHE'S]

Question: Is his function limited to design and process of the industrial plant only or obtaining

government approval is still included in his function? Explain your answers.

Answer:

No, he is not limited to such function. As stated in the RA 9297 under article 4 section

29, the general rule is “Any proposal, design, specification, working drawings or plan for an

industrial plant or any part thereof submitted to any government agency, national or local,

including government-owned or controlled corporations, shall not be processed or approved, nor

shall such plan be issued any permit, license, franchise, authorization or certification...” with the

exception when a proposal is signed (along with his registration number) by a registered

chemical engineer. In this case Engr. C is a registered chemical engineer; hence his clearance is

significant in obtaining government approval.

Question 2

Engr. H just started working for a new company when his manager asked him for

information regarding his work from a previous employer which has confidentiality agreement

associated with his departure from that company. The manager suggested that there was nothing

confidential about such information and sharing it would make Engr. H more valuable to the

firm. If you were Engr. H, what would you do? [CODE OF ETHICS]

Answer:

Engr. H should honor the agreement between him and his former employer/company. He

will need to explain that he had signed a confidentiality agreement with his former

employer/company and he has the responsibility to adhere to such agreements. In the Code of

Ethics under Section 13, it states that “The chemical engineer shall regard as the property of his

client or employer any plan, design, or other record which results from the use of information

which is not common knowledge or public property, but which information is obtained from his

client or employer.” During the course of Engr. H’s employment, all substantial, non-public,

business-related information, written or oral that is disclosed or made available to the receiving

party, directly or indirectly, through any means of communication or observation, whether or not

it is marked as such is considered as confidential information

Company managers should be aware that confidentiality agreements are a standard

practice in the corporate world, and they should be prepared to work around such restrictions

throughout an employee’s career. While Engr. H may not be able to elaborate on the finer details

of his experience, or the entire business strategy, he is certainly allowed to explain his general
responsibilities and the scope of contributions he had made and is capable of making in the

future.

It is best for Engr. H to utilize his ability to communicate his skill set and breadth of

responsibility, impact, ability to influence the impact of others, and quantitative impacts he can

provide rather than disclosing confidential information from a former company. Breaking an

NDA may appear to be a convenient way for Engr. H to impress the new management with his

knowledge, but it actually informs them that anything he signs with them is worthless.

Maintaining his professional reputation necessitates adhering to the NDA. This conduct also

shows his new manager that Engr. H has integrity.

Question 3

Ms. S is a newly graduate of BS Chemical Engineering and currently reviewing for the

Board Examination. While reviewing, she was applying for cadet engineering position in

different food manufacturing companies. Ms. S was hired in a multinational food manufacturing

company for a cadet engineering internship. The salary offered was only standard for starting
chemical engineer. She was assigned in the production plant in Laguna with shifting schedule. A

month before the board exam, she applied for a leave so she can concentrate in her review.

Because of her good performance at work, the management granted her a month leave so she can

better prepare and pass the Board Exam. She was due to return to work when the result of the

board exam was published online and she passed it. She was now in a dilemma if she would

return and continue her work or file a resignation. She has personal reasons for not returning

which are low salary expectation, longer work hours affecting her health and her parent's

disapproval of leaving far away from the family. Is Ms. S now Engr. S violated her employment

contract if she filed for resignation? Explain your answer. [CONTRACTS]

Answer:

References:

Varelas, E. (2016, June 15). Handling Confidential Information in Job Interviews. Retrieved
September 16, 2021, from Boston.com:
https://www.boston.com/news/jobs/2016/06/15/handling-confidential-information-job-
interviews/