Big Brother in the Workplace - Best and Worst

[Midnight Son]

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp IBM.N . is least likely to snoop on its employees, while drug maker Eli Lilly and Co LLY.N . is the most notorious Big Brother boss, Wired magazine said in its October edition.

The technology magazine surveyed watchdog organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Privacy Foundation to determine which large, publicly traded companies were the best and worst for workplace privacy.

IBM took top honors for its efforts to scrub Social Security numbers from health-care records, while Lilly received black marks for its invasive background checks of workers after Sept. 11, 2001, some of which led to dismissals.

Hewlett-Packard Co HPQ.N . and Baxter Healthcare BAX.N won plaudits for their vigilant protection of internal employee records, while Ford and Sears were praised for voluntarily signing on with stringent data-protection laws in Europe and California.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.WMT.N and Hilton Hotels Corp.HLT.N were criticized for secretly taping employees, while the New York Times Co. NYT.N . drew hisses for requiring doctors to disclose employee medical records. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.BNI.N also made the list of Big Brother bosses for its 2001 attempt to fight workers' compensation claims with genetic testing."

Genetic testing to fight workers comp? Damn, ya'll.

http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=3405138

[Midnight Son]

Ok, do any of your employers keep close tabs on you? How does this make you feel?

[Brian Koontz]

Ok, do any of your employers keep close tabs on you? How does this make you feel?

Loved... They really, really care... Huggsies and Kissies, all of you! Mwaa!

Paranoid... Running through a dark narrow corridor, skittering and glancing back. A dark figure approaches. Run faster...

Or more commonly, personally...

Given how many people neglect their work at work *Cough*Many of the people at Qt3*Cough* its a very good idea for employers to track employee behavior, at least to an extent where its clear they're working on something the employer approves of. How I feel is normal. Employees should of course monitor employer actions to assure no abuse is taking place (such as reading employee email). If corporate email is checked it should be by a 3rd party who only alerts the manager when there is a problem, for example.

As long as things are treated properly, the system works.

[Peter Frazier]

Heh- as I teacher, I know that every screw-up I do will be reported. Bloody little tattle-tales; it's like 25 secret police informers in each room.
Well that and the Midwich Cuckoos where you stay one metre away from them at all times because you are also afraid of any potential vexatious complaints.
I've actually asked if I could have a video camera set up in my room to record student behaviour- I am confident enough in my abilities to work with one also recording my actions. Can't because of child protection issues though- bloody civil liberties....