I recently got fired from an electronics engineering company in the town of Pullman, WA. I feel like I was treated unfairly, in that I was fired because I agreed to an electronic use policy that stated that the computer I used and anything send from it was able to be monitored. About 11 months ago, I broke up with my girlfriend. I really loved the girl, and hoped to clear up misunderstandings that led to the breakup. However, as these things go, sometimes the prettiest of comments are not said to one another. She said some things I don't think any person should hear. Sadly, and I'm not proud of it at all, I said some things back (of course wanting to uphold my pride, not really thinking that at the time I was only shooting myself in the foot, not only with what little was left of our relationship, but the fact that I was doing it from a company computer).
About 3 weeks ago, my hard drive failed. I called our IS department, who came out to deliver a new drive. I erased the old one after I had transfered my files off it. Shortly therafter, they came to pick it up, saying they didn't want it to get into circulation again since it was damaged.
Someone must have been thouroughly bored and decided to start a little investigation of my personal data by reconstructing what was on the drive. (Although I deleted files, I didn't reformat...my bad).
Shortly after dropping off the old drive, I was told I was fired, because the company had viewed conversations to my ex that were automatically logged by MSN messenger.
I'm still quite perterbed that they pulled this out almost a year after it happened. Also, the point was brought up...what gives them the right to monitor a computer, whether they own it or not, when they certainly can't do that with a phone?! How much of our lives are to remain ours, and private when we go to work? The reason they gave was that it put the "company's servers at risk". Hmm. Okay. Obviosuly not that much if nothing has happened, and it's been a year.
I wrote the owner of the company, who I greatly respected, who handed it back to the HR department, who verified that they would not re-hire me, despite my personal life issues that led me to do this.
On one hand, I see their point in not re-hiring, in that if you do it for one, you give grounds to have to do it for all. From another though, does this stink a little of improper HR and IT practices to anyone but me?
-J
Slashdot Mirror
I recently got fired from an electronics engineering company in the town of Pullman, WA. I feel like I was treated unfairly, in that I was fired because I agreed to an electronic use policy that stated that the computer I used and anything send from it was able to be monitored. About 11 months ago, I broke up with my girlfriend. I really loved the girl, and hoped to clear up misunderstandings that led to the breakup. However, as these things go, sometimes the prettiest of comments are not said to one another. She said some things I don't think any person should hear. Sadly, and I'm not proud of it at all, I said some things back (of course wanting to uphold my pride, not really thinking that at the time I was only shooting myself in the foot, not only with what little was left of our relationship, but the fact that I was doing it from a company computer). About 3 weeks ago, my hard drive failed. I called our IS department, who came out to deliver a new drive. I erased the old one after I had transfered my files off it. Shortly therafter, they came to pick it up, saying they didn't want it to get into circulation again since it was damaged. Someone must have been thouroughly bored and decided to start a little investigation of my personal data by reconstructing what was on the drive. (Although I deleted files, I didn't reformat...my bad). Shortly after dropping off the old drive, I was told I was fired, because the company had viewed conversations to my ex that were automatically logged by MSN messenger. I'm still quite perterbed that they pulled this out almost a year after it happened. Also, the point was brought up...what gives them the right to monitor a computer, whether they own it or not, when they certainly can't do that with a phone?! How much of our lives are to remain ours, and private when we go to work? The reason they gave was that it put the "company's servers at risk". Hmm. Okay. Obviosuly not that much if nothing has happened, and it's been a year. I wrote the owner of the company, who I greatly respected, who handed it back to the HR department, who verified that they would not re-hire me, despite my personal life issues that led me to do this. On one hand, I see their point in not re-hiring, in that if you do it for one, you give grounds to have to do it for all. From another though, does this stink a little of improper HR and IT practices to anyone but me? -J