Employees beware, employers are watching you

Most people know it's probably not a good idea to use your corporate e-mail account to write about how you skipped out on work and had too many refreshments at the Los Angeles Dodgers game.

But you might want to think twice about doing the same via text message on your work-issued phone.

New guidelines for financial companies that were issued recently in US mean that they are responsible for any secure information employees send over their mobile phones, in addition to e-mail.

Hospitals and other organisations that work with personal information are also cracking down on employees who send messages over phones.

Loophole advantage

But it's not as easy for employers to read your text messages as it is for them to read your e-mail.

Right now, text messages sent on employee phones are archived, but a hole in most systems means that if an employee sends a text message and then deletes the sent file, the archive won't store it.

So Onset Technology has come up with software that enables employers to monitor employees' texts, as well as control who they're writing texts to and what they're writing. It's called METAmessage Advanced Compliance Tool.

“We scan and block text messages so the company makes sure there are no text messages going out that violate company policy,'' said Zack Silvinger, the company's vice-president of business development and marketing.

That means if your company has decided that curse words or sexually explicit words aren't acceptable, you'll be thwarted every time you try to send a text message with banned words on it.

What's more, your message will be sent to the human resources department for action.

The dreaded blacklist

Companies using the software can also create blacklists to control whom employees can text.

Federal law, however, prevents service providers from turning over contents of text messages to an employer, even if an employer pays for the service.

But with this software, your employer scans the text messages before you even send them.

It might seem ridiculous for companies to employ these tactics but they can prevent legal issues from arising, said Patrick Corr, Onset's vice-president of sales.

“The idea is to protect the enterprise.''

Caught in passing: What to say and why

Excerpts from a discussion on www.washingtonpost.com

How do you tell an intern (young undergraduate) that she wears way too much perfume?

Do not bring up the feelings of others in the office, or you will risk making her defensive.

Rather, tell her you have a special sensitivity to fragrances and ask if she would not mind accommodating you by toning it down and thank her for her openness to your request.

Tell her you have a sensitivity to fragrances: But why not say: “I don't think I'm especially sensitive, but it is bothering me?''
It helps to make the listener receptive to your message if you do a good job of taking personal responsibility for your feelings.

Tell her you have a special sensitivity to fragrances: that will make people think that I'm the freak, not the perfume overdoser. I've heard people say things like, “If she has special allergies, SHE should have to adapt.'' The point is it's an inappropriate choice by the perfume wearer.

Why should the manager pose it apologetically? Why can't women be strong? Why should they apologise while asking for things?

Interesting. I was not assuming that you were a woman.

By Lily Garcia/Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service