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From monitoring
keystrokes to video surveillance to GPS satellite tracking;
today's employers are keeping tabs on their employees.
According to a 2005 survey by the American Management
Association (AMA), U.S. firms continue to record and review
employee communications and activities on the job. This
includes checking employee phone calls, e-mail messages,
Internet connections and computer files.
Most observation takes place
because of increased technology available to employees, such
as e-mail and advanced online capabilities. Seventy-six
percent of businesses monitor employee Web use and 55
percent keep and review e-mail messages.
So if privacy concern you,
follow these tips for work:
1. Review your
company's handbook.
Every company has a
list of policies available to its employees. When you get a
new job, your human resource department should make you
aware of them. If you don't remember them, now's a good time
to brush up on what's acceptable and not on the job.
2. Don't use
company e-mail for private messages.
Although it may be
tempting to forward the latest joke or urban legend to your
colleagues, resist the urge. Someone in your organization --
usually the network administrator -- is watching all of the
e-mails that come and go. Is this fair? According to
experts, if your e-mail system is owned by your employer,
the company is allowed to review its contents.
3. Always
assume your messages will be shared with others.
It's all too easy for
the recipient to hit "forward" rather than "reply" and send
your message on to others. If the contents of your e-mail
messages are meant to be private, pick up the phone and call
the recipient instead of using e-mail.
4. Keep your passwords
private.
If you don't want
others to have access to your computer while you're out of
the office, don't share your passwords. Keep them in a
secure place where only you can find them.
5. Stay off sensitive
Web sites while at work.
Although you may think
you are cruising the 'Net inconspicuously, every time you
visit a site you leave an electronic fingerprint. Your
computer screen may also be in plain view of others who walk
by your workspace. Visiting credit management sites,
managing your bank account online, or shopping for lingerie
could have the whole office talking about what you're
viewing on your monitor.
6. Turn off your
computer.
When you step away from
your desk, turn off your computer. Anyone can click on your
navigation bar to view the Web sites you've visited
recently. Or worse, if you leave your e-mail open, a
passerby could read your mail or even send a message under
your account
7. Pay your bills at
home.
If you don't want your
co-workers to know how much you owe on your credit cards or
the size of your mortgage, keep your bills at home. These
are private documents that your co-workers and employer do
not need to see and that don't need to go through the
corporate mailroom.
8. Keep your
paycheck away from wandering eyes.
Put your paycheck in
your pocket or purse as soon as you get it. Given the
popularity of direct deposit these days, most people don't
give payday a second thought. That can be a problem when
paychecks are left lying around. Consider Kathy, an account
manager at a national travel company. She recently moved to
another cubicle and the co-worker who now occupied her empty
desk found one of her old paychecks, opened it and shared
the amount with others in the office.
9. Report to
work on time.
According to one office
administration manager in Chicago, "If your company has a
security key card system that you use to gain access to your
building, management knows what time you came into the
building and reported for work. When needed, they can use
these reports to implicate tardy employees." Surveillance
cameras can also track employees' whereabouts and the time
of their arrival and departure.
10. Don't use a
company-issued credit card for personal purchases.
Many sales reps and
executives receive corporate credit cards for
business-incurred expenses. If you don't want the accounting
department to know what size you wear, don't shop for
clothing and other personal items with the company card.
If you are concerned
about privacy and monitoring practices at your company,
re-read your company handbook manual or ask your human
resources department. Most businesses alert employees to the
possibility that e-mail messages or online activities may be
tracked. Keep in mind that your purpose at work is to --
well -- work and realize that it's better to be safe than
sorry. If you keep your personal e-mails to a minimum or
avoid them altogether, make as few personal phone calls as
possible and stay off the Internet, privacy shouldn't be an
issue for you.
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