May 5, 2008 1:36 pm US/Eastern
Home Computer Use Can Get You Fired
(WBZ)
The vast majority of us have to use a computer at work, but some workers are getting in trouble even when they are using their personal computers at home.
For flight attendant Ellen Simonetti, writing a blog helped her get through some tough times. "I had just lost my mother to cancer and that just hit me really hard, and that was a way for me to express myself."
Ellen had no idea that her blog could get her fired. The trouble started after she posted pictures of herself in uniform in between shifts. She says she was completely shocked by her company's response.
Nancy Flynn of the E-Policy Institute isn't surprised employers are taking these actions. "In 2007, we had 28% of employers who terminated employees for inappropriate email use. In addition to that, we had an additional 30% of bosses who terminated employees for internet violations."
Most workers know not to abuse the computer at work with lots of private emails or web surfing. However, many are not aware that company policies can also limit what they do on their personal computer. "When employees are fired for blogging on their own personal accounts, it typically is because the content in some way violates some company policy," Flynn explained.
Ellen says she still isn't aware of any rules prohibiting what she did, or clauses that she might have violated. She had this advice: "If you plan to start a blog, find out if your company has a blogging policy." It could be the difference between keeping your job, or losing it. Ellen, who called herself the "Queen of the Sky", has filed a discrimination suit with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
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