thanks & regards
Avdhesh Kumar
08010151346

My employer has staffed a department of “investigators” who exist to search the internet and social networking sites for any mention of their name or client’s names and/or any mention of any conversations that they feel “might” be them and/or other employees (primarily supervisors and management).

I was recently required to complete an online training session concerning company policy related to social networking. Did this take place at work? No….it was sent to my home e-mail address and I was required to complete it at home with no pay. I am an hourly worker; not management; not supervisory. I was not briefed about this requirement before hand, nor was I notified of the coming communication. It arrived in my e-mail unnannounced in any way by the company. I was given a “test” to determine my understanding of the material and I am certain this information is now part of my permanent employee record. Oddly, I was not asked to sign any disclosure statement nor was I asked to sign any other document waiving particular rights in regard to internet communications outside of the workplace.

I am now completely paranoid as to using my own name on the internet because I have been advised that this “investigation” department is searching out employee names to find anything they may post to the internet.

I understand concern regarding using a company name and posting confidential and damaging information on the web; but actually searching for any and everything someone has posted? Actually holding employees accountable for statements not associated to a company but those that “might” be or “seem” to be about a company co-worker?

In my view, that is extremely paranoid and could be connected to harassment if an employee is disciplined or counseled in the workplace regarding such unidentifiable remarks. In fact, what would prevent a co-worker, whether management or supervisor, from claiming a statement made on the internet by another worker was about him/her? I could pull comments off the internet and speculate it was about me; of course, I’m not a paranoid schizophrenic.

I think this corporate Naziism is going too far.

I am presently researching the pretense of sending a mandatory or even a non-mandatory training e-mail to my home, like the one I received, as being harassment and intimidation.

I believe the at home training requirement while not being paid is a violation of State labor laws as well.

My position at the company has no availability to any company e-mail, and I am expressly prohibited from using the internet outside of a required website maintained by the company. I do not carry a computer device to my work, other then a cell phone, that I am restricted from using except at breaks and lunch. I have never mentioned the company I work for by name, nor have I mentioned any confidential information; in fact, the information concerning my company is widely publicized and certainly not cloaked in secrecy. Any person is able to research the web and obtain more information regarding the company that the company would most likely prefer was not available; but they have not pursued having it removed from news sources, government sources, or from independent sources.

My employer, by way of the department manager, informed us that we can no longer list the name of the company as being our employer on anything appearing on the internet. I would think that would include resume posting sites.

I don’t believe they can require this legally and I am checking out the “threat” aspect of that announcement.

It seems that some corporations believe they are beyond the law regarding these issues. I have just been informed that my employer may have plased a “Flash” tracking cookie on my system when I went to the website link for the training. I was advised to use a software to identify this cookie and, sure enough, it was there. Not only was it able to track my web visits, but also my personal information.

I am turning this record over to a law firm that is working on a lawsuit concerning this kind of thing and privacy.

Who knows how many corporations are doing this to their employees?

I like the one approach, though, that allows employees to comment on their company’s products if they reveal that they are employees and it’s their opinion. In a society where people think that a good lawsuit is like hitting the lottery, companies must be clear and ensure that an endoresement doesn’t look like an unbiased customer.

The U.S. government now requires us as Internet marketers to reveal if we are getting affiliate commissions for the same issue of bias.

As a consumer, I would think you too would want to know if this is a satisfied customer or a satisfied customer who has a vested interest in the product doing well.