Practices of dubious legality

My workplace is voiding their insurance. More importantly, they’re breaking the law. I’ve been installing cabling – network cabling, for use with computers and phones. I’ve not been licenced by the ACMA; I haven’t done the training course, and I’m not authorized under any circumstance to install permanent cabling and related infrastructure which directly connects into existing public telecommunications networks.

I wonder though, in how many businesses and homes Australia-wide is this occuring? Many people on tech forums Australia-wide dismiss the ACMA licencing laws as mere annoyances. In a home, the illegality isn’t so much an issue as the potential of voiding your home insurance cover — if your house goes up in flames as a result of a fire and it comes to light that cabling installed by an unqualified individual may have been the culprit, you can say goodbye to all hopes of reimbursement through insurance.

A business however has other issues; not only do they face their insurance being declared null and void, they also face irrevocable loss of business: premises, records, infrastructure and equipment. Customers too. As well as the potential lawsuits that may result from a cabling-related incident, as employees may sue because of loss of employment, or even due to injuries incured through accidents caused by unqualified cabling.

So, who’s at fault here? Me, or the guy who interviewed and hired me (my boss)? During the interview, mention was made of “basic networking” as being part of the job. Fair enough I thought at the time, at most it’ll be some troubleshooting. Maybe I should have questioned the nature of the network-related aspects of the job. Though, I don’t think this would’ve helped too much. My boss is the kind of guy who has an idea and wants it today. I think the problem arose from a lack of knowledge on the part of my boss, and the fact that to assume produces an ass out of you and me. We both made assumptions about my capacity to perform the duties outlined.

When I was asked to make and run cabling, I raised the issue that I wasn’t licenced, and technically it would be illegal. The question was simply posed again, phrased differently: “yeah, but can you do it?” — well, of course I can do it… just not legally.

So in the end, what is the result? Who’s responsible?