Getting hauled over the coals tommorrow

[Andy]

For internet abuse at work, hence why i havent been on during the day lately.

I work as an agency worker for a local authourity and i got summoned to the personnel manager on tuesday. She presented me with a CD which has logged every site ive been on for the past 14 months. :o

I have an 'informal' meeting with her, my director and someone from internal Audit tommorrow so i can confirm that log is accurate and expalin why ive been surfing when i shouldnt have.

The problem is, while the log shows the odd sites ove been on, mainly vvoc, internet banking, a few car buying sites and here, it also shows a massive amount of sites ive never heard of with either just an ip address or a foriegn title. Im presuming these are from cookies in pop ups etc? It also lists me as having 48minutes of adult rated site usage too, despite our firewall throwing back anything with even a hint of raunch, so again, i assume pop ups?

Theres 50 people in total over our department being spoken too, and i expect the permenent staff will just get a warning. Im not sure if they will just boot me out, being agency. I know they havent spoken to my head of department about it, as im sure he wouldnt want me to go, as he's only just managed to get staff levels up to where he wants them. (my line manger also said that depsite me going on the net, i was still one of the most efficent guys in the office lol).

Ive already rang my agency who siad they could have me a choice of new jobs within the same day if it came to it, so im not going to take any sh!t from them. I'll admit it, (partly) apologise and leave it to them to do the rest of the talking.

[Bainie]

Bummer, I think I will take it as a warning as well, I spend quite a bit of time here when at work, I know it is all logged so better take heed of your situation. Hope it all goes OK mate ...

[Andy]

im not worried about getting another job, as my job area is heaving at the minute. I also found out that salaries for perm staff have risen quite a bit since i was last permenant lol.

Its just i like working there, good bunch of guys, 20 mins from home etc and no stress.

[daznsaz]

proberly talking rubbish but, have you signed a computer policy i.e rules and so on. If not they might not be able to do a lot.

[gizmo10119]

bummer mate, it was only yesterday i had to explain a £124 mobile phone bill to my director!

[AJA]

proberly talking rubbish but, have you signed a computer policy i.e rules and so on. If not they might not be able to do a lot.

Fair comment, if you really want to push it.

It's incredibly hard to prove that someone has purposely clicked on a certain site, as most are pop-ups as you said. It sounds like the company you are working for need to upgrade the software on the exchange and proxy server to stop these pop-ups. If you really want to rub their faces in it, ask them what version of pop-up blocker they're using. Also state to them that most of the time vectra-c.com was minimised, so you didn't think it was going to be an issue and didn't affect your productivity.

All in all it's very hard to prove internet abuse, I know because I've been asked to carry out inspections of peoples PC's to try and find any abuse. If you've never been shown any 'Company Internet Policy' rules, plead ignorance.

[bruceybonus]

have you signed an internet use policy document, if not, they haven't got a leg to stand on.

[Ste]

Disagree with the last statement, mainly because you are there to work (ie the contract agreed) and not spend all day on internet. They could get you on hours actually worked (or assessed as 'worked')

Having said that, I can see your point totally, if you are reputed to be of high efficiency.
I would hands up to some, take reservations on others, ask for proof that you opened these sites (and were not popups), ask if the proof exists that YOU viewed these sites (do others have access to your computer, at any times when you're not at your desk?), if the system is networked (I assume it is) how can they capture the sites 'visited' by you? Is this possible, accurately?

Then, as you say, ask for a copy of the internet usage policy (for your future guidance) and sit back and let them blow off steam. Say you won't contravene the rules 'again' and go back to work.

Job done, or clear you desk. - joking.
Make sure you're being treated the same as the other 50 or so, and ask why not if you're treated differently. Question a warning, verbal or written, if the others are not getting the same.

[cb500t]

I've worked in local Govt for years,if you were guilty of viewing any porn sites etc,you are escorted to the door and employment terminated virtually instantly.....sounds like merely a wrist slap example,so everyone hears about it,just to keep the gaffers on top of the employees........

[AJA]

I know some employers publish their 'Employees Handbook' on their intranet and encourage all their employees to print it off and read it. This is their way of covering their rears when it kicks off.

[Andy]

well im sat at home after being escorted from the building LOL..... bit shocked as it was meant to be informal. Got myself an interview lined up for Tuesday morning so not really that worried as aparantly they probably offer me the job at the interview (according to my agent)

[AJA]

WOW, I'm lost for words.

Have they escorted everyone on the list or just you?

[Andy]

just me today but have suspended a few others before.

[C19_CJB]

Thats really **** Andy... when I read your post this morning I thought to myself 'he will just get a warning'... didn't even cross my mind that you would get sacked for something so trivial!! :eek:

Good luck for the interview on Tuesday... hopefully you won't be out of work for long!! ;)

[GARY3306]

:eek: :eek: :eek: I think I'd better stop looking at this site and ebay at work then. Hope all goes well for you at your interview Andy.

[cb500t]

Sadly proven correct.......only ever happened in my experience in very,very shady site viewing(depraved etc!!!),not for one moment am I suggesting this is the case........

[bruceybonus]

really sorry to hear about that, sounds well sus from where i'm sitting....If they dont want people looking at certain sites it's dead easy to block them.. we do at our place..you cant trust anyone or anything these days..its a shame really..someone has really gone out of their way to get those logs...

[Andy]

lol, its not becuase ive been looking at dodgy sites, the firewall took care of that, it was becuase of the amount of surfing i'd been doing.

[Bainie]

Bummer mate, sounds like you won`t go short of work though, I used to work for a large oil company and it was a frequent event people getting escorted away from their PC`s ....

[chunkster]

sorry about your job andy, two ways to look at it - if you were still getting through your work then it seems they wanted rid at any cost, and if this was the case then yyour better off outta there a go somewhere where they trust you!!!!
just my opinion of course

[Andy]

yeah, been there 2 years and was starting to get a little bored, finishing early etc. probably a blessing in disguise, but ive learnt a big lesson from it....

[Brake buster]

yeah, been there 2 years and was starting to get a little bored, finishing early etc. probably a blessing in disguise, but ive learnt a big lesson from it....



take ur lappy in and hack into the wireless network :cool:

then they dont even know ur there, lmfao


BB :D

[AJA]

take ur lappy in and hack into the wireless network :cool:

then they dont even know ur there, lmfao


BB :D

Not easy as it sounds mate. Any network admin worth his / her salt would of protected a wireless network with the essential firewalls and hotfixes. Not a good idea, not to mention against the law. :(

[Brake buster]

Not easy as it sounds mate. Any network admin worth his / her salt would of protected a wireless network with the essential firewalls and hotfixes. Not a good idea, not to mention against the law. :(


hmm, understand about the ' network admin being worth their salt ' , but about against the law ?

as i dont think its 'illegal' to use a network that isnt protected for the purpose of surfing the net by using well published ' hot spots '

but i suppose if you do the crime, you do the time

BB

[AJA]

If you logon to a Hot Spot it asks for credentials (credit card to pay for use) so nothing anonymous there. So they will know exactly 'who's there' as you put it. Unless you give false credentials, but again illegal.

If you hack a companies network - now that IS illegal mate.

[Trel]

Blimely Andy. I don't log on for a few days and all this!. Hope all goes well tomorrow. ;)

[Andy]

well all is well again. Had an interview this morning and they offered me the job with 30 mins, which ive accepted. The silver lining to the cloud is that its more money than i was on before too :)

[GARY3306]

Brilliant Andy, let me be the first to congratulate you mate. All the best in your new job.

[big phil]

Like a cat ......always land on your feet .....LOL !!! WELL DONE CHAP !

[Jamie]

Well done mate... two fingers to the old place then!!! ;)

[Andy]

definetly, good bunch of guys i worked with who where very supportive when i was getting 'escorted from the building' and afterwards but 2 fingers to senior management.

Its actually caused a real problem in the office. All the agency staff (about 25% total staff) are now looking for other jobs, the moral has dropped to rock bottom, workload has increased for everyone else, the job i was working has now dropped behind programme and aparantly it was also in breach of european law which one of the expereinced agency guys is now pursing lol.

To make things even worse, it was all done without the knowledge of my department head who had just got staff levels up to where he wanted and the place running at a profit. He's got this to face on monday when he comes back.

If theyw ould have just given me a ticking off, suspended my internet access etc i would have been happy to still be there, but the heavy handed approach is now causing problems. Add in the 60 permenent staff who have been suspended and it theres dark clouds on the horizon for City of Sunderland.