To: Diana Turgeon

Dir. H R
cc: Stephanie Kennedy
Manager H R

From: Farhat Sharief

Date: March 23, 2006

Re: Employment issues which have arisen at Rand McNally

________________________________________________________________

I would like to bring to the attention of the Human Resources Department certain
significant problems in the workplace involving my employment that I have raised
verbally in the past, but which have not been formally addressed by Human
Resources.

I would first like to say that I have been proud to be employed by Rand McNally
for nearly thirty years. Up to very recent times, I have consistently received mid-
year and annual performance ratings indicating my work product exceeded
expectations for key objectives and one time far exceeded expectation with a
very significant cost saving.

My job is very special in nature and requires expertise and careful performance,
for which I have been trained, and for which I have years of experience. I have
taken my job quite seriously, as reflected in the quality of my work.

In the last year, the work environment has changed dramatically. Since August,
2005, I have been exposed to increasing hostility from my supervisor, Susan
Hudson, on a repeated and continuous basis.

In August, 2005 we began working on the Gold Standard project. This was a job
that required immediate attention with a short completion date. We were required
to reduce 834 places to 327 places. I explained to Susan Hudson that I needed a
new excel sheet in order to reduce 834 places down to 327 places. Susan
Hudson did not even look at me as ordered me to “Just do it!.” I went back to
her again and tried to explain the problem again, but she would not listen and
told me that the problem was my failure to communicate. I have never had a
problem communicating with any of my co-workers or superiors. I am of foreign
ancestry, but I am a US citizen and I am able to communicate clearly in English.

Since LandView was discovered the procedure has been changed and no new
procedure has been written. Susan Hudson set a goal for me to help her with
developing and writing a new procedure, but she has never followed up on that
and it has never been done.

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I used the LandView resource for a California full-revise. Susan Hudson then
accused me of not following the correct procedures, even though current
procedures do not exist. Rather than explaining what she meant and how to
complete the job correctly, Ms. Hudson began sending me angry e-mails. With
only ten days left to complete the California full-revise, I asked Susan Hudson to
demonstrate the procedures she preferred so I could go over the rural places and
finish them with LandScan. Susan Hudson told me there was no LandScan for
that and she could not show me how to do it because New York had to be
completed. Susan Hudson told me she was going on vacation and would
demonstrate the procedure for me when she returned. However, when she did
return, she did a quality assurance on seven places, but never demonstrated the
verbal procedure of LandScan which was not well defined and hard to apply.

Susan Hudson rated my performance as “A,” for the first time on my mid-year
and annual review in 2005. Susan misrepresented facts on my SPP and I felt it
was necessary to respond to the comments she had made in my permanent
record. When I did, Susan Hudson responded, “I am the boss. I can do
anything, and they are going to believe me, not you.” I did not receive a copy
of my review, signed by Susan Hudson, until February 28, 2006. At that time I
learned that Howard had signed my review on October 21, 2005, but the signed
review was not returned to me until five and a half months later.

In the first week of September, 2005, we were working on clean up. We

performed a QA on each other’s work. There was one written procedure, but it
appeared everyone understood it differently. Susan Hudson discussed the work
with Felix and Ray. Initially I was told that we would all meet to clear this up.
Later, I learned that I was not included in the meeting.

In regard to the DNF/NRDB rural research procedure, I asked Susan Hudson for
clarification of “clustered” as opposed to “scattered.” She told me to “read the
procedure.” Then, on September 30, she gave us a revised procedure, defining
landmark places. Later, she gave us another revised procedure.

On October 12, 2005, Felix and I had a meeting with Susan Hudson with regard
to aerial maps. She told me she was too busy and that Felix will help me. Felix
and I agreed on nearly everything. Any questions were brought to Susan
Hudson. Then on the morning of October 13, 2005, I gave AL to QA. Felix then
threw the procedure away, screaming at me. Following that, Susan Hudson and
Felix had a meeting about the result of QA on my work. I asked to be included,
which Susan Hudson refused, with one word: “No.”

Later, I finished AR and asked Felix for his comments. On November 8, 2005, I
still had not received any comments from QA about AR.

On November 9, 2005, I met with Felix for one hour. He said to me: “Don’t you
think Joel should hire somebody to do this job?” I said that was up to

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management. Then Felix leaned over toward me and said: “I get mad at you
when you don’t answer my questions.”

On November 15, 2005, I told Susan Hudson I had worked on 15 states, but I
received no feedback from her.

On December 6, 2005, Susan Hudson sent me an e-mail indicating I should join

her for a “planning meeting.” In fact it was not a planning meeting. When I arrived
couple of minutes early, Susan Hudson said “Why don’t you come a little later
because Stephanie from Human Resources will join us.”I asked Susan why I was
not told that this was a Human Resources meeting and that Stephanie would be
present, so I could be property prepared. Susan told me “I don’t have to tell
you.” Susan Hudson presented the error report and told me the errors needed to
come down to 8%, as the last error report was 9%. While discussing my
performance rating, Susan Hudson told Stephanie that I had requested an “E.” I
pointed out that was my self-assessment, not a request to Susan Hudson. Susan
Hudson then said to Stephanie: “She doesn’t even deserve an “A.”

On January 12, 2006, Susan Hudson had a meeting with me about training and
then said to me in a hostile voice: “Don’t say I did not train you.”

On February 14, 2006, I spoke to Stephanie about my upcoming review. I told

her that I would send my completed evaluation to Susan Hudson the next day. I
also told her that I was under too much stress on the job to have a discussion at
that time, and I requested to be excused from the review at that time. I told
Stephanie that my working environment, and the way I was being treated and
spoken to, was causing me physical illness, including stomach problems and
diarrhea. Stephanie told me she would talk to Susan about the situation.

I have since been thoroughly tested for these physical problems and it has been
determined that there is no organic cause and that my stomach and digestive
problems are stress related.

Regardless of the meeting with Stephanie, my work environment has not

changed and no one has told me that any course of action will be taken to correct
the current situation. Receiving orders from my supervisor, such as” “Just do
it,” and one word responses such as “No!” are unacceptable, disrespectful and
inappropriate in the workplace. Similarly, such comments as: “Don’t say I didn’t
train you” and “I am the boss, who are they going to believe, you or me”
are unprofessional and dehumanizing, as are the comments: “ I am the boss, I
can do anything” and “I don’t have to tell you.” Still further, for Susan
Hudson to misrepresent that we were going to have a planning meeting, when in
fact she knew that she had called a meeting with Stephanie from Human
Resources – and then to say, in front of Stephanie, She doesn’t even deserve
an A” indicates a complete lack of professionalism and respect for human
dignity.

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Resolution

I am asking Human Resources to address the problems that I have raised and
reiterated in this memorandum. I need to know, specifically, in writing, what will
be done about the manner in which I have been and am being treated.

I have not changed my work habits or my work ethic in any way, by comparison
to my history of glowing, and praising reviews. I am still the diligent, hard working
person I have been at this company for over 29 years. Perhaps the entire
department is under excessive pressure. But with no other explanation to rely
upon, and no response from Human Resources, I am left to wonder if I am now
experiencing age discrimination or discrimination based on my race, gender, or
creed, which I never experienced before at this company. I am ashamed that my
children are now aware of the way I am being treated by a life-long employer.

Regardless of the reason for the way I am being treated, it is clearly causing me
physical illness and mental anguish, which is not what I anticipated my last years
at Rand McNally would be like, after a career that was previously the subject of
praise and accomplishment.

Respectfully,

___________________________________
Farhat Sharief