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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/17/when-your-boss-turns-into-big-brother-surveillance-has-grave-consequences
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| When your boss turns into Big Brother, surveillance has grave consequences | When your boss turns into Big Brother, surveillance has grave consequences |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A couple | A couple |
| of years ago, I found myself doing unpaid work, giving up my Saturday night | of years ago, I found myself doing unpaid work, giving up my Saturday night |
| with television and pad thai to stuff envelopes and check in guests instead. | with television and pad thai to stuff envelopes and check in guests instead. |
| I wasn’t | I wasn’t |
| doing volunteer work, or one of those bizarre internships where you run free errands | doing volunteer work, or one of those bizarre internships where you run free errands |
| for a billion-dollar shoe company in the hopes of climbing the corporate ladder. I was asked to work for free because I got | for a billion-dollar shoe company in the hopes of climbing the corporate ladder. I was asked to work for free because I got |
| caught accessing Facebook on the company computer during work hours. On my day | caught accessing Facebook on the company computer during work hours. On my day |
| off, my boss had accessed my internet browser history and printed out the | off, my boss had accessed my internet browser history and printed out the |
| evidence of my cardinal sin. She threatened to sue me for “stealing” company time unless I worked the following week, unpaid. | evidence of my cardinal sin. She threatened to sue me for “stealing” company time unless I worked the following week, unpaid. |
| I obliged reluctantly and did so because I prided myself in having good work ethics, and was mortified that my 10 minute Facebook interlude had supposedly turned me into a slacker. | I obliged reluctantly and did so because I prided myself in having good work ethics, and was mortified that my 10 minute Facebook interlude had supposedly turned me into a slacker. |
| I did not turn to the fair work ombudsman because I was | I did not turn to the fair work ombudsman because I was |
| ashamed of what happened; I blamed myself for not being good enough and doubted I could get a | ashamed of what happened; I blamed myself for not being good enough and doubted I could get a |
| job anywhere else. I knew my | job anywhere else. I knew my |
| boss was wrong to make me work for nothing, but between working irregular casual hours | boss was wrong to make me work for nothing, but between working irregular casual hours |
| and coming home to a windowless room in a sharehouse, I didn’t have the energy | and coming home to a windowless room in a sharehouse, I didn’t have the energy |
| to fight her. I let it go. | to fight her. I let it go. |
| Last week, Australians joined in the global fight against mass surveillance by governments. | |
| But if you are in Australia, the chances are that it is your boss, not a | But if you are in Australia, the chances are that it is your boss, not a |
| Canberra bureaucrat, who is recording your movements on CCTV, screening your | Canberra bureaucrat, who is recording your movements on CCTV, screening your |
| online footprints or geotracking your precise coordinates. Many employers now | online footprints or geotracking your precise coordinates. Many employers now |
| have IT policies that allow them to monitor your online activities out of work | have IT policies that allow them to monitor your online activities out of work |
| hours, and employer-issued smart phones and laptops make this exercise easier. | hours, and employer-issued smart phones and laptops make this exercise easier. |
| Or maybe your | Or maybe your |
| boss is a Canberra bureaucrat. Just last month, minister Eric | boss is a Canberra bureaucrat. Just last month, minister Eric |
| Abetz issued guidelines to public servants about their online activities. | Abetz issued guidelines to public servants about their online activities. |
| In a professor | In a professor |
| Umbridge-style, public servants were told not to make a | Umbridge-style, public servants were told not to make a |
| comment that is “so harsh or extreme in its criticism of the government, a | comment that is “so harsh or extreme in its criticism of the government, a |
| member of parliament from another political party, or their respective | member of parliament from another political party, or their respective |
| policies”, that “it raises questions about the APS employee’s capacity to work professionally, | policies”, that “it raises questions about the APS employee’s capacity to work professionally, |
| efficiently or impartially”. What’s more, such comment “does not have to relate | efficiently or impartially”. What’s more, such comment “does not have to relate |
| to the employee’s area of work” so it can extend to any comment on the infinite | to the employee’s area of work” so it can extend to any comment on the infinite |
| number of issues that the federal government looks after. | number of issues that the federal government looks after. |
| I can | I can |
| openly write about what happened now because I no longer work for my previous company. | openly write about what happened now because I no longer work for my previous company. |
| But there are more of us out there who are probably untweeting those tweets, | But there are more of us out there who are probably untweeting those tweets, |
| unupdating those Facebook statuses and writing journals instead of blog entries, stashing them under the mattress because of what our employers might | unupdating those Facebook statuses and writing journals instead of blog entries, stashing them under the mattress because of what our employers might |
| think. | think. |
| Employer | Employer |
| monitoring does not just offend our Orwellian sensitivities about privacy. It can hit you in a | monitoring does not just offend our Orwellian sensitivities about privacy. It can hit you in a |
| real and hard way, like being issued with a warning and being fired. Why would you want | real and hard way, like being issued with a warning and being fired. Why would you want |
| to be the guinea pig for testing what is considered to be “so harsh or extreme in its criticism” | to be the guinea pig for testing what is considered to be “so harsh or extreme in its criticism” |
| when your livelihood and professional reputation are at stake? | when your livelihood and professional reputation are at stake? |
| Our laws | Our laws |
| aren’t particularly helpful when it comes to employer surveillance. In New | aren’t particularly helpful when it comes to employer surveillance. In New |
| South Wales, employers have to give prior notice of surveillance but they don’t | South Wales, employers have to give prior notice of surveillance but they don’t |
| need employees’ consent. In Victoria, employers can’t use CCTV cameras in toilets or change rooms, so at least employees know where to go if they want to gossip. | need employees’ consent. In Victoria, employers can’t use CCTV cameras in toilets or change rooms, so at least employees know where to go if they want to gossip. |
| Employers should stop treating their | Employers should stop treating their |
| employees like children loose on the playground, and our laws shouldn’t stop at banning | employees like children loose on the playground, and our laws shouldn’t stop at banning |
| CCTV cameras in toilet cubicles. Until then, we may have to go back to writing | CCTV cameras in toilet cubicles. Until then, we may have to go back to writing |
| in journals and hiding them under our mattresses. | in journals and hiding them under our mattresses. |