Boss Question

[Maleficent13]

Actually, more than one question.

Does your boss go through your desk when you are not there? I don't mean when you're on vacation for an extended period and they may need something; I mean when you're at lunch or after you leave at night.

If they do, are you okay with it?

I do not go through my employees' desk without their permission and I have never had anyone go through mine without my knowledge until now.

 

[CathrynRose]

Actually, more than one question.

Does your boss go through your desk when you are not there? I don't mean when you're on vacation for an extended period and they may need something; I mean when you're at lunch or after you leave at night.

If they do, are you okay with it?

I do not go through my employees' desk without their permission and I have never had anyone go through mine without my knowledge until now.

Absolutely not - and quite frankly, no I wouldnt be okay with it.

I have nothing to hide, however I would question their intentions on doing so.

But no - not even the horrible boss that gave me near panic attacks daily, didnt go through my desk.

 

[meandtheguys2]

When I was working, that would have bothered me. I am a relatively private person.

 

[debbi801]

Previously, no. Never. It never would have occurred to my immediate boss or his boss to go through my desk without my express permission. Even if I was out sick and they needed something.

However, our company was purchased last fall. The company that purchased us actually encourages mgrs to go through their employees desks when they are not there. It is supposed to allow them to get to know you better. Luckily, I do not work at the corporate headquarters so this won't be an issue for me. personally, I find it an invasion of privacy.

 

[MushyMushy]

I once worked for an office where the "senior" secretaries would go through the "junior" secretaries' desks and TRASH cans. It was all fine until they went through one of the other senior's desks and then it was ON.

Bunch of snakes. I'm so glad I got laid off from that place.

 

[CathrynRose]

I can not believe this would be encouraged!!

 

[lesroi]

Previously, no. Never. It never would have occurred to my immediate boss or his boss to go through my desk without my express permission. Even if I was out sick and they needed something.

However, our company was purchased last fall. The company that purchased us actually encourages mgrs to go through their employees desks when they are not there. It is supposed to allow them to get to know you better. Luckily, I do not work at the corporate headquarters so this won't be an issue for me. personally, I find it an invasion of privacy.

I agree that it "feels" like an invasion of privacy, but unfortunately, we cannot expect privacy at our desks. We do not own the desks, they are company property. Most companies have policies now that state that anything in your desk is "fair game" for Managers to search. Most companies also state that they are allowed to search your purse if necessary.

It is disheartening, and I as a Manager never did it (because it would just feel so WRONG to me), but where I used to work not only did our boss go through our desks, he (and his wife... ) actually spent the weekend reading all of our emails. To top it off, this man was the head of a HR consulting firm. He ended up having a nervous breakdown and the company closed, but I digress...

I think it happens more than we like to think about, which is why after I stopped working there and moved to another Company, I always locked my desk...

Tracy

 

[NMAmy]

It is supposed to allow them to get to know you better.

Hmm...maybe TALKING to the employees would be a better way for the boss to get to know them instead of snooping.

No, I think my boss is scared of my desk--particularly right now. Heck, I'm a little scared of it myself. And, yeah, it would bother me if she did go through stuff without a reason. Not that there is anything personal here except for photos but it just seems invasive. I really don't care if any of my co-workers look for stuff when I'm gone--I'll usually tell them where stuff is if I'm out sick or know I'm going to be gone.

 

[Maleficent13]

The company that purchased us actually encourages mgrs to go through their employees desks when they are not there. It is supposed to allow them to get to know you better. Luckily, I do not work at the corporate headquarters so this won't be an issue for me. personally, I find it an invasion of privacy.

That is unbelievable.

 

[janey99]

I'm confused - what is the alleged justification for this? Are they looking for something ("I needed the Penske file and you weren't in your office so I went in and rummaged until I found it . . . ")? Or, are they hoping to find some type of contraband ("Explain this crack pipe I found in your pencil cup, missy!")? Or, like another poster said, trying to learn something about you (Ah, the tampax box is almost empty, THAT explains a lot!")?

I'm just scratching my head at what type of excuse anyone could give for this type of behavior in a business environment. Although as a lawyer I know employees have no legal expectation of privacy in their workspace, I would not expect anyone to actually dig through my stuff!

 

[CathrynRose]

("Explain this crack pipe I found in your pencil cup, missy!")?

LOL!

Now, searching with a reason - perhaps you *do* have crack-like symptoms, and they search, but to just search for no apparent reason, or to "get to know you better" WTH is that????

I dont know how much you'd get to know about me, from searching my desk.

 

[Maleficent13]

I know it's their desk, etc. I know they have the *right* to do whatever they want pretty much as far as rummaging through it. I guess I just don't understand why someone wouldn't just ask for something they wanted rather than wait for me to go to lunch and then go to town.

 

[robinb]

I agree that it "feels" like an invasion of privacy, but unfortunately, we cannot expect privacy at our desks. We do not own the desks, they are company property. Most companies have policies now that state that anything in your desk is "fair game" for Managers to search. Most companies also state that they are allowed to search your purse if necessary.

Tracy, you are 100% right. An employee should have no expectation of privacy on the job because they do not legally have any privacy. Your desk is only the beginning. Your emails, your internet browser history and all the files on your computer are all fair game. I worked for a defense contractor my first year out of college and I knew that my desk was occasionally searched. I have treated every work desk since then the same way. It's worse for women in the service sector. Many of them are required to carry see-through purses while at the work place because retailers simply do not trust employees not to steal. I know wouldn't want all my co-workers and customers to see the private things in my purse/bag, like sanitary pads and tampons.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Not that I know of, but I wouldn't really care if they did. I don't keep anything personal in my desk. If they want to go in my desk and sift through my pens and paperclips, then by all means...go right ahead.

 

[salmoneous]

Yes a boss has the right to go through a desk, but basic decency requires the boss to respect their employee's privacy as much as possible. Back when I was a boss I would never go through a desk unless it was an emergency - and even then I would try and find one of their friends/coworkers to do the searching for me.

Any boss that goes through a desk when it isn't absolutely necessary is either

1) A clueless dolt who doesn't understand what they are doing, or

2) Somebody on a power trip, going through stuff "because they can"

 

[MushyMushy]

Tracy, you are 100% right. An employee should have no expectation of privacy on the job because they do not legally have any privacy. Your desk is only the beginning. Your emails, your internet browser history and all the files on your computer are all fair game. I worked for a defense contractor my first year out of college and I knew that my desk was occasionally searched. I have treated every work desk since then the same way. It's worse for women in the service sector. Many of them are required to carry see-through purses while at the work place because retailers simply do not trust employees not to steal. I know wouldn't want all my co-workers and customers to see the private things in my purse/bag, like sanitary pads and tampons.

A policy like that might make me mad enough to line my see-through purse with pads and tampons in a blatant way just to be perverse.

The older I get, the more outraged I get at my loss in privacy and rights. And these past few years have made me downright cranky.

 

[maddiemouse]

Any boss that goes through a desk when it isn't absolutely necessary is either

1) A clueless dolt who doesn't understand what they are doing, or

2) Somebody on a power trip, going through stuff "because they can"

My boss is both, and I keep nothing personal at my workplace (unless I want her to see it)
And I AM in the process of looking for a new job.

 

[Maleficent13]

I have nothing personal in or on my desk at all. Well, unless you count my cookie drawer for snack emergencies, which she can help herself to. So there isn't anything I am worried about her seeing; I just find it strange.

In a related note, HR is now asking us to provide them with a list of all our current medical conditions and a medication list, under the guise of asking for emergency contacts.

 

[SandraVB79]

Tracy, you are 100% right. An employee should have no expectation of privacy on the job because they do not legally have any privacy. Your desk is only the beginning. Your emails, your internet browser history and all the files on your computer are all fair game. I worked for a defense contractor my first year out of college and I knew that my desk was occasionally searched. I have treated every work desk since then the same way. It's worse for women in the service sector. Many of them are required to carry see-through purses while at the work place because retailers simply do not trust employees not to steal. I know wouldn't want all my co-workers and customers to see the private things in my purse/bag, like sanitary pads and tampons.

TG I live in a country with laws that protect ones privacy, even at work! Indeed, my employer is not allowed to read my email or even trace on what websites I have been. If they don't want their employees to surf the web, they have to take measures that prevents it. E.g. at my previous job, they had websense, which filtered out all kind sof websites (ebay, porn, games, religious sites, ...)

 

[Wishing on a star]

I have nothing personal in or on my desk at all. Well, unless you count my cookie drawer for snack emergencies, which she can help herself to. So there isn't anything I am worried about her seeing; I just find it strange.

In a related note, HR is now asking us to provide them with a list of all our current medical conditions and a medication list, under the guise of asking for emergency contacts.

This seems highly illegal...
They are just asking for discrimination lawsuits.