We were disappointed that Paul's job was eliminated.  He had hoped for support from BorgWarner and had voiced his thanks for that assumed support in statements in Russian court.  But BorgWarner must serve their shareholders' interests even at the expense of our brother.

 

BorgWarner did the very least they could for Paul and I am sure he will be surprised that they weren't more actively engaged to support him.  They continued paying his salary, a salary to which I believe he was entitled in any event as an employee.  They connected our family with an outside lawyer for a few weeks after Paul's arrest - a lawyer who leaked our private conversations to his media contacts.  As their spokesperson said to Crains Detroit, BorgWarner has not had any involvement in Paul's situation. [https://www.crainsdetroit.com/news/borg-warner-cuts-job-novi-man-detained-russia] 

 

I realize that it is difficult for an employer when an employee is caught up in a situation out of anyone's control.  Work, like life, must go on.  But BorgWarner had resources specifically designed to help employees caught up in situations like these in foreign countries [for example https://www.borgwarner.com/global-benefits/global-business-travel/us-citizens].  Like the U.S. government distinguishes hostages from the merely unfortunate in allocating fusion cells, it may be that BorgWarner only uses those tools for employees traveling for business.  Perhaps they might have chosen to use them to help Paul, but Paul was a tourist when he was wrongfully detained.

 

We have let Paul know so that he can prepare himself for being jobless on his return home, whenever that may be.  It is hard news to communicate at Christmas to a prisoner in a Russian jail.