Privacy caution
Workers need to seriously consider what they’re posting online; systematic loss of privacy just part of the modern world
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EAR J.T. & DALE: Do employers really monitor social media accounts for employee behavior? — Derek
J.T.: Yes. And it’s becoming more common. For instance, there’s one airline I know of that monitors pilots’ online activity. They are looking for pictures and comments that might be an indicator of substance abuse. They would rather intervene before they have a problem with a pilot under the influence on the job. Seems like a good idea, doesn’t it?
Dale: Well, OK, in that case, where you’re protecting the public, indeed it does. And it’s an even better idea if the corporate response to questionable behavior is to offer help rather than an empty box to clean out your desk into. But none of us can feel good about the systematic elimination of privacy.
J.T.: Sticking to career implications, I’d caution anyone who has a job where they could be terminated for code-of-conduct violations to seriously consider what they’re posting online. As I always remind my clients, an employee is a business of one, providing a service to employers. A company wants the best possible partners and your public persona is something they’ll use to determine that.
Dale: Furthermore, it isn’t just what you post online. If you are in a photo taken by a friend, it probably will be posted and you’ll be “tagged,” meaning you’ll be named. You know how celebrities often gripe about paparazzi? Well, we all have friends with camera phones and so we all have our own version of paparazzi pals, which suggests a new term: palarazzi. This leaves us with just one conclusion: Assume that everyone knows. It’s that kind of world.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve noticed an alarming trend among employers. I am a working
professional in my 40s with many years of work experience and I’ve never been written up for substandard work. Still, I’ve had three different employers at three different companies completely abuse their authority and be verbally abusive toward me. It has affected me so much that I can’t trust employers. Any suggestions or feedback? — Amy
J.T.: I’m not sure that there is a trend here — there always have been difficult bosses and it’s hard to quantify.
Dale: However, if someone did devise a measure, I suspect it would reveal a steady increase. The squeezing of middle management has caused a dramatic rise in workload and in pressure on the typical supervisor. Isn’t it inevitable that there is a direct correlation with aggressive behavior? Plus, the celebration of obnoxious executives, such as Steve Jobs, may be giving
permission to managers to unleash their dark sides.
J.T.: You might begin by trying to adjust your own level of tolerance, working to accept a wider variation in work and communication styles.
Dale: Yes, although that idea probably sounds offensive, like suggesting you become a better wimp. Not at all. What we are talking about are people of such strength that they refuse to be offended. One thing that has helped me to shrug off nastiness is saying to myself, “They haven’t learned that lesson yet.” Often, I feel sorry for obnoxious people, sensing the personal pain that is overflowing from troubled minds.
J.T.: The other thing you can do is get better at evaluating employers before accepting the job. You don’t want to work “for” an employer; you want to work “with” him or her. You need to do a better job of figuring out the culture before accepting the job. You do this by networking your way to people who work there, including the use of social media and websites like glassdoor.com.
Dale: A job-searching rule to keep in mind: The easier a job is to get, the worse the job. And a second rule: With a great boss, there are no bad jobs; with a terrible boss, there are no good jobs. Great bosses rarely use the traditional job market for hiring — they simply don’t need to. Everyone wants to work for them and they simply take their pick. So you need to identify the people you want to work for and make a case for your being worthy of a great boss.