HR Wants To Check Employees’ Personal Phones Anytime They Want, People Are Not Having It
Human Resources departments are vital to a healthy work environment. When they’re doing their job well, HR departments are a helpful tool offering support to employees and boosting company morale. They should ensure that the staff feels safe and comfortable in the workplace and with the policies that are in effect. Occasionally, however, employees can find themselves frustrated with HR departments who seem to only care about the interest of the company and completely disregard the workers.
A week ago, Reddit user pretendlawyer13 logged on to share an upsetting new policy enacted by the HR department of his job. He wrote to r/antiwork, a subreddit with almost 2 million members “who want to end work, are curious about ending work, and want to get the most out of a work-free life”, and many readers responded sharing frustration for the new policy. Keep reading to hear from pretendlawyer13 and some of the readers who provided support and alternative solutions.
And when you’ve finished reading this piece, keep up the anti work content with some more Bored Panda publications here and here.
More info: Reddit
Last week, an employee logged on to Reddit to share an unreasonable new policy his HR department implemented
Image credits: Unsplash (not the actual photo)
If you’ve ever seen The Office, you know that HR has a stereotype of being everyone’s least favorite person. (Poor Toby, he was just doing his best…) While HR is behind the scenes ensuring everyone gets paid on time and updating company policies, about 70% of employees report that they don’t trust their HR department. While they are the go-to contacts to report issues in the workplace such as discrimination or harassment, apparently employees are now seeking outside assistance to handle problems in the office. Blind Blog reports that “apps that provide informed advisers and legal resources for workers” are becoming increasingly popular to avoid interactions with HR.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, HR departments can get back on the side of employees. According to HR Gazette, employees just want to be seen and heard when they have concerns about working conditions. For example, “Employees usually complain about bad lighting and for good reason: too much or too little light lead to eye strain whereas harsh artificial lighting can easily trigger headaches or even migraines in some people. When employees don’t have headaches and back pain, the time they spend in the office will be more comfortable for them and as a result, they will be happier and more productive.” An HR manager who listens to employee concerns and actually implements changes for the benefit of workers is doing their job well. When conditions are improved, staff members become happier, and the overall morale of the company is boosted.
Image credits: pretendlawyer13
Image credits: Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Navigating an HR position is difficult, but it’s not impossible to keep employees satisfied. When the “human” part of human resources is focused on, situations like the story above can be avoided. Employers have no right to infringe on the privacy of employees, and HR has a responsibility to advocate for workers. Hopefully, the company in the story above has since listened to their employees and reconsidered this new policy.
Have you ever had to deal with unreasonable requests from HR? We’d love to hear your story in the comments below!
Readers responded with shared frustration and suggestions of solutions to the new policy
These people have lost their minds. He should refuse to let them look at his phone and if they fire him, file suit against them. If the police can't look at your phone without a warrant, your place of business can't take your personal phone and look through it.
I'm not sure about any law changes, but, I doubt there have been any since I worked for a massive wireless phone company a little over 10 years ago. We were specifically told that the employees personal phones were theirs, and that they were to be told that they should not give out their personal numbers, because they were provided with company owned phones and phone lines the retail environment, along with a few others. That new hires were not allowed to bring their personal numbers into the company, they would be given new phone numbers. And, yes, those company phones could be searched, and even monitored.
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By their logic, if you're working from home, they can search your house. They can't. Nor can they search your personal phone. It's illegal.
This makes me cringe. Especially as this exploiting, slave-like employee-employer relationship swaps over to Europe! Luckily we have strong law! But those are nothing if you aren't aware of them!!! So get yourself informed, working people! Don't let the same circumstances happen to you that are obviously common in the US!!!
Not a lawyer, but buried in some NDA or employee handbook might have some language where either you consent to those terms, or agree not to use personal devices (which would give them an in to say “because policy was violated, we have to ensure no proprietary or customer data is on the device”). The fact that it is standard practice beyond some trivial instances (“Yo coworker! Where are you?”) puts this at risk. It would become expensive to find out just how exposed you are. BUT! As was repeatedly mentioned, if they expect to be able to control all devices with company information or business on them, they need to provide it. I’d say push for them to provide you a device for work. If the company’s margins are so thing the employees must subsidize the company, you have bigger issues. In general, I assume any device that is used for company business or connects to a company network could be searched by the company.
A company I worked for added this policy but went a step further and included a clause that they could wipe your personal phone and any cloud backup. I laughed and told my boss I would not be signing it. It meant my on call response time greatly increased since he was too cheap to pay for a phone we could use to remote access IT systems to reboot them. I'd been with the company for 9 years and even though he backed down, within a year I found a new job that pays more. If a manager/company is too cheap to pay for the tools for me to do my job it's time to move on.
"Why sure boss! I don't mind at all. Lost my shame in a hunting accident in 1996. Been taking photography lessons. Mostly myself, naked. These are of me, naked, running down the street. The natural light sure brings out the color in my cheeks. Oh, here some of my more exotic pictures. I call these 'S&M Bondage in Disco Lighting'. Yeah, that's still me. Still naked. Not bad for 60 years of age. You want to see my pictures of taxidermy?" Why threaten them with lawsuits when you can weird them out instead. Let your freak flag fly!
Don't put your work things on your personal devices. If they require use of a phone they have to give you one.
Get a cheap second hand phone. Fill it with the most vile porn, and grotesque injuries you can find.
A no would suffice. But if more convincing is required, I'm sure a middle finger wouldn't be hard either.
Worked armed security for a couple of years; one "supervisor" made a rule that we were NOT to use our personal phones while on duty. Couple-three days later, I'm doing my rounds, patrolling the property - suddenly, there's a text from this self-same supervisor, to MY PERSONAL PHONE. Since he had indicated a "problem" would arise (write-up, suspension, etc.) I didn't respond. He wasn't too popular with the other security personnel, and this was just icing on the cake. He didn't last too much longer in the job.
So, my last employer gave a choice. They would pay you $35/month for your phone bill, and they'd install their software so you could access your email. Or, you get no money, but can't access email from phone. The software they installed have them full access to your phone. I was surprised how many people took the money. I felt like it was not worth it. I don't want to check email when I'm not at work.
Wouldn't be surprised that the paperwork they signed when they got hired mentions something in the 'fine print' about this and considering most people don't bother reading 'fine print' on agreements they sign, they're complaining about something they agreed to. Personally I'd never work for a company who requires me to use my personal device for work purposes. This whole thing sounds like it could be a BYD situation honestly. BYOD sounds great to a lot of people but it opens up your personal computer usage to your employer because you're either using it on their network or for their purposes. Companies do BYOD so they don't have to worry about equipment costs, thus more money for the bottom line. That's why you should never connect your personal device to their internal WiFi either for any reason. More than likely there is a tracking cookie and being connected to their WiFi would allow them to look at whatever if they wanted to. Just don't do it.
"You're lucky I'm not charging YOU for the use of MY phone for business. If you want to inspect my phone, you'll have to physically *take* it from me. But you'd better bring help, and pack a lunch."
This can't be legal. Check your HR information to make sure you didn't sign any document that may have a clause about this. I wish I remembered the app but there's an app that allows you to use an alternate sign in pin. When you use the alternate pin, it only shows certain things, other things are hidden.
Nuts! A lot of stuff is illegal even in the US - this among them. In the EU, you have even more enforcable rights: Asked for a drug screening without reason? Just say no, end of. Asked to make sure you're work is done when you're sick? The next-higher than you, likely, will arrange for that. Forcing you to work on days off? No. Not handling days-off-requests? Report them, they'll get a slap on the hand. No pay? Sue. For all expenses you need to arrange something for, for all expenses the arrangery costs, for everything resulting from it, and you'll be compensated in full, unless the company is as broke that it goes out of business.
Buy the cheapest burner flip phone for work. Sorry, can't text. Sorry, can't take photos.
It’s because if there is a claim or lawsuit regarding your behavior on the job, such as sexual harassing a co-worker, threatening a co-worker via text etc. they will want documentation (evidence). It’s best to never use a personal phone for business, whether for an employer or self-employed, as it can be subpoenaed.
Employees have the expectation of personal cell phone privacy. However, an employer can request to search the contents of the phone and may do so legally, only with the employee's permission. The employer may not coerce, threaten or harass an employee if the employee refuses the search.
I'll let hr search my phone all they want. I just won't unlock it and will fill it full of close up photos of certain parts of my body.
These people have lost their minds. He should refuse to let them look at his phone and if they fire him, file suit against them. If the police can't look at your phone without a warrant, your place of business can't take your personal phone and look through it.
I'm not sure about any law changes, but, I doubt there have been any since I worked for a massive wireless phone company a little over 10 years ago. We were specifically told that the employees personal phones were theirs, and that they were to be told that they should not give out their personal numbers, because they were provided with company owned phones and phone lines the retail environment, along with a few others. That new hires were not allowed to bring their personal numbers into the company, they would be given new phone numbers. And, yes, those company phones could be searched, and even monitored.
Load More Replies... By their logic, if you're working from home, they can search your house. They can't. Nor can they search your personal phone. It's illegal.
This makes me cringe. Especially as this exploiting, slave-like employee-employer relationship swaps over to Europe! Luckily we have strong law! But those are nothing if you aren't aware of them!!! So get yourself informed, working people! Don't let the same circumstances happen to you that are obviously common in the US!!!
Not a lawyer, but buried in some NDA or employee handbook might have some language where either you consent to those terms, or agree not to use personal devices (which would give them an in to say “because policy was violated, we have to ensure no proprietary or customer data is on the device”). The fact that it is standard practice beyond some trivial instances (“Yo coworker! Where are you?”) puts this at risk. It would become expensive to find out just how exposed you are. BUT! As was repeatedly mentioned, if they expect to be able to control all devices with company information or business on them, they need to provide it. I’d say push for them to provide you a device for work. If the company’s margins are so thing the employees must subsidize the company, you have bigger issues. In general, I assume any device that is used for company business or connects to a company network could be searched by the company.
A company I worked for added this policy but went a step further and included a clause that they could wipe your personal phone and any cloud backup. I laughed and told my boss I would not be signing it. It meant my on call response time greatly increased since he was too cheap to pay for a phone we could use to remote access IT systems to reboot them. I'd been with the company for 9 years and even though he backed down, within a year I found a new job that pays more. If a manager/company is too cheap to pay for the tools for me to do my job it's time to move on.
"Why sure boss! I don't mind at all. Lost my shame in a hunting accident in 1996. Been taking photography lessons. Mostly myself, naked. These are of me, naked, running down the street. The natural light sure brings out the color in my cheeks. Oh, here some of my more exotic pictures. I call these 'S&M Bondage in Disco Lighting'. Yeah, that's still me. Still naked. Not bad for 60 years of age. You want to see my pictures of taxidermy?" Why threaten them with lawsuits when you can weird them out instead. Let your freak flag fly!
Don't put your work things on your personal devices. If they require use of a phone they have to give you one.
Get a cheap second hand phone. Fill it with the most vile porn, and grotesque injuries you can find.
A no would suffice. But if more convincing is required, I'm sure a middle finger wouldn't be hard either.
Worked armed security for a couple of years; one "supervisor" made a rule that we were NOT to use our personal phones while on duty. Couple-three days later, I'm doing my rounds, patrolling the property - suddenly, there's a text from this self-same supervisor, to MY PERSONAL PHONE. Since he had indicated a "problem" would arise (write-up, suspension, etc.) I didn't respond. He wasn't too popular with the other security personnel, and this was just icing on the cake. He didn't last too much longer in the job.
So, my last employer gave a choice. They would pay you $35/month for your phone bill, and they'd install their software so you could access your email. Or, you get no money, but can't access email from phone. The software they installed have them full access to your phone. I was surprised how many people took the money. I felt like it was not worth it. I don't want to check email when I'm not at work.
Wouldn't be surprised that the paperwork they signed when they got hired mentions something in the 'fine print' about this and considering most people don't bother reading 'fine print' on agreements they sign, they're complaining about something they agreed to. Personally I'd never work for a company who requires me to use my personal device for work purposes. This whole thing sounds like it could be a BYD situation honestly. BYOD sounds great to a lot of people but it opens up your personal computer usage to your employer because you're either using it on their network or for their purposes. Companies do BYOD so they don't have to worry about equipment costs, thus more money for the bottom line. That's why you should never connect your personal device to their internal WiFi either for any reason. More than likely there is a tracking cookie and being connected to their WiFi would allow them to look at whatever if they wanted to. Just don't do it.
"You're lucky I'm not charging YOU for the use of MY phone for business. If you want to inspect my phone, you'll have to physically *take* it from me. But you'd better bring help, and pack a lunch."
This can't be legal. Check your HR information to make sure you didn't sign any document that may have a clause about this. I wish I remembered the app but there's an app that allows you to use an alternate sign in pin. When you use the alternate pin, it only shows certain things, other things are hidden.
Nuts! A lot of stuff is illegal even in the US - this among them. In the EU, you have even more enforcable rights: Asked for a drug screening without reason? Just say no, end of. Asked to make sure you're work is done when you're sick? The next-higher than you, likely, will arrange for that. Forcing you to work on days off? No. Not handling days-off-requests? Report them, they'll get a slap on the hand. No pay? Sue. For all expenses you need to arrange something for, for all expenses the arrangery costs, for everything resulting from it, and you'll be compensated in full, unless the company is as broke that it goes out of business.
Buy the cheapest burner flip phone for work. Sorry, can't text. Sorry, can't take photos.
It’s because if there is a claim or lawsuit regarding your behavior on the job, such as sexual harassing a co-worker, threatening a co-worker via text etc. they will want documentation (evidence). It’s best to never use a personal phone for business, whether for an employer or self-employed, as it can be subpoenaed.
Employees have the expectation of personal cell phone privacy. However, an employer can request to search the contents of the phone and may do so legally, only with the employee's permission. The employer may not coerce, threaten or harass an employee if the employee refuses the search.
I'll let hr search my phone all they want. I just won't unlock it and will fill it full of close up photos of certain parts of my body.
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