AFFIRMATIVE – EMPLOYMENT – WORKPLACE SPYING

AFFIRMATIVE — EMPLOYMENT — WORKPLACE SPYING — SIGNIFICANCE 280

PRIVATE MATTERS ARE USED AGAINST WORKERS BY EMPLOYERS

PRIVATE LIFE CAN BE USED AGAINST YOU ON THE JOB

Greg Dawson; The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 27, 2000, SECTION: BUSINESS;Pg. C-1 TITLE: Freedom of speech shares workplace with the freedom to be fired; it's a ... Constitutional Catch-22 // acs-VT2001

A warning to all those who are now or soon will be employees in the workplace of the 21st century:

You have the right to remain silent. At the very least, you should check over your shoulder before saying whatever to whomever. And, frankly, you'd be a fool if you didn't.

Because anything you say or do -- even off the job -- can be held against you by your boss, who has the right to fire you for just cause ... or just because.

EMPLOYERS FIRE WORKERS FOR OFF-DUTY POLITICAL STATEMENTS

Perhaps even more ominous is employer scrutiny of after-hours behavior and speech, which has no effect on the worker's health or the company's health-care costs.

"There are employers who will fire you for making a political statement they think is terrible or for voting the wrong way, and generally it's perfectly legal," Maltby says.

EMPLOYEES CAN BE FIRED TO NOT LIVING UP TO THE COMPANY IMAGE

Today, Maltby counsels prudence for all, famous or not. Think twice about telling that off-color joke -- you never know who might be listening.

"Ten years ago if your boss heard about a stupid joke you told in the back yard, nothing would happen," Maltby says. "Today you might lose your job."

Employees are caught in a "public relations squeeze," says Burt Fairchild, former president of the Central Florida Human Resources Association.

"I don't know if employees truly fathom their responsibilities about (company) image," he says. "If they don't, it's often because the employer hasn't made clear to workers what is expected of them. Just to assume employees know is wrong. They need to be trained."