Employee looking for new work while on the job and HE complained to HR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just because he can search for anything during lunch doesn't mean he can use company equipment to do so.

Yes he can unless their is a company policy. Just like you can call your kids on your phone.

Sure.

You do know that companies tried to fire women in the 60's for calling their latch key kids.

But men call their wives all the times don't eventually and pathetically companies had to put in writing that women could use the phone to call home.

the OP is being a butch for some reason she has not told us.

The '60's were a long time ago. They also had a dress code and hand book that you would laugh at today. This is not a woman vs man thing. Do not try to turn it into one.

[Anonymous]

Where do you people work? Honestly?

He wasn't fired for internet usage, he wasn't formally reprimanded with a write up, or put on a PIP. OP said she informally reprimanded him for wasting time on the internet.

As a supervisor, that's the supervisor's call. Is it the right call? Eh, maybe not, but it's certainly not something the employee should've complained to HR about. It's a supervisor / employee matter.

He's just a preservationist trying to burrow in and save his own job. People like this are exhausting and waste tons of resources.

[Anonymous]

OP what did HR say?

[Anonymous]

OP, not great.

They cautioned me against reprimanding an employee who is not my direct report. My boss is their supervisor, I am the agency manager.

They advised I should not come across as adversarial if an issue like this should come up, and that I should have discussed it with HR or my boss to see if there's any policy against it first.

They will be revising the internet and computer usage policy against "personal gain", and had a conversation with the employee about their plans with the company. They say they dealt with the issue but will not divulge to me why or how.

I'm a little pissed and feel like they went over my head. I feel like I should have some say in the employees at my office, but whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, not great.

They cautioned me against reprimanding an employee who is not my direct report. My boss is their supervisor, I am the agency manager.

They advised I should not come across as adversarial if an issue like this should come up, and that I should have discussed it with HR or my boss to see if there's any policy against it first.

They will be revising the internet and computer usage policy against "personal gain", and had a conversation with the employee about their plans with the company. They say they dealt with the issue but will not divulge to me why or how.

I'm a little pissed and feel like they went over my head. I feel like I should have some say in the employees at my office, but whatever.

But that person's not even your direct report. Why should you have some sort of say regarding their employment?

[Anonymous]

Maybe they were looking up salary information? I don't think that's an abuse of company resources - he wants to know his value in the market.

[Anonymous]

Personal gain sounds very vague. Does that even include job search type stuff?

[Anonymous]

I hope that employee finds a new job. I wouldn't want to work for a boss like you, OP. You don't sound like a motivator.

[Anonymous]

The way you worded this all, OP, I want to throw a name out there because I really feel like I know who you work for. If not, it makes me sad there are multiple "yous" floating around in the staffing biz.

First job out of college was for a staffing agency. When I started, I was given a 30-day buddy to shadow for 15 to learn the ropes and then they shadowed me for 15 to make sure I was good to go. Unfortunately, my 30-day buddy treated the situation like I was her employee to supervise and (micro)manage once the time ended. Coworkers told me that her buddies either left for new jobs or just put up with her faux supervising.

She'd get very huffy if decisions were made without her input. She tried to schedule weekly goal meetings with me. Told me what time I should take lunch so we had full phone coverage even though we had a receptionist and no policy on lunchtime phone coverage. Final straw was when I caught her going through my sent emails. She said she was counting to make sure I was making my numbers (we didn't have number goals to meet) and she was concerned to see I'd used my work email for personal reasons. I made a face at that and she found an email from weeks before where I'd told my mom to email me at my personal and work email when my sister was out of surgery so I was sure to see it. She said she'd have to take this to HR, but much like OPs "supervisee," I beat her to the punch. And much like in OPs case, HR sided with me and reprimanded her. I found a new job, during company time too, a month later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way you worded this all, OP, I want to throw a name out there because I really feel like I know who you work for. If not, it makes me sad there are multiple "yous" floating around in the staffing biz.

First job out of college was for a staffing agency. When I started, I was given a 30-day buddy to shadow for 15 to learn the ropes and then they shadowed me for 15 to make sure I was good to go. Unfortunately, my 30-day buddy treated the situation like I was her employee to supervise and (micro)manage once the time ended. Coworkers told me that her buddies either left for new jobs or just put up with her faux supervising.

She'd get very huffy if decisions were made without her input. She tried to schedule weekly goal meetings with me. Told me what time I should take lunch so we had full phone coverage even though we had a receptionist and no policy on lunchtime phone coverage. Final straw was when I caught her going through my sent emails. She said she was counting to make sure I was making my numbers (we didn't have number goals to meet) and she was concerned to see I'd used my work email for personal reasons. I made a face at that and she found an email from weeks before where I'd told my mom to email me at my personal and work email when my sister was out of surgery so I was sure to see it. She said she'd have to take this to HR, but much like OPs "supervisee," I beat her to the punch. And much like in OPs case, HR sided with me and reprimanded her. I found a new job, during company time too, a month later.

Good for you, PP! Hope the new job was a HUGE step up. I'm in my first job out of school too and going through the same thing. I'm glad I'm not alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, not great.

They cautioned me against reprimanding an employee who is not my direct report. My boss is their supervisor, I am the agency manager.

They advised I should not come across as adversarial if an issue like this should come up, and that I should have discussed it with HR or my boss to see if there's any policy against it first.

They will be revising the internet and computer usage policy against "personal gain", and had a conversation with the employee about their plans with the company. They say they dealt with the issue but will not divulge to me why or how.

I'm a little pissed and feel like they went over my head. I feel like I should have some say in the employees at my office, but whatever.

It sounds like you work in a strange place but don't allow the cultural norms make you act crazy, because your reputation will outlast your stint with this one firm. It's weird that you checked the email of your non-employee. It may not seem weird to you now, but trust me, it's weird. You don't want to come off as obsessed with this guy, OP. Spend your time more productively and back way off from this guy before he has grounds for bigger complaints.

[Anonymous]

I think it is super creepy that you are monitoring other employee's internet use like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, not great.

They cautioned me against reprimanding an employee who is not my direct report. My boss is their supervisor, I am the agency manager.

They advised I should not come across as adversarial if an issue like this should come up, and that I should have discussed it with HR or my boss to see if there's any policy against it first.

They will be revising the internet and computer usage policy against "personal gain", and had a conversation with the employee about their plans with the company. They say they dealt with the issue but will not divulge to me why or how.

I'm a little pissed and feel like they went over my head. I feel like I should have some say in the employees at my office, but whatever.

It sounds like you work in a strange place but don't allow the cultural norms make you act crazy, because your reputation will outlast your stint with this one firm. It's weird that you checked the email of your non-employee. It may not seem weird to you now, but trust me, it's weird. You don't want to come off as obsessed with this guy, OP. Spend your time more productively and back way off from this guy before he has grounds for bigger complaints.

Yeah, everything they said is true. You should not be reprimanding an employee who does not report to you, about something that you haven't even checked company policy on. They should not be sharing the conversations they had with other employees with you.

[Anonymous]

You are way out of line. Monitoring a person's internet usage is beyond the pale. This isn't 1984 and you should be reprimanded.
No one wants to work for a company that actively monitors your internet usage and it will hurt their reputation. I bet you've posted on here or viewed this site while at work.

Most people understand that a company could pull up your search history if they wanted to, but no one does it.