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lumy12I always said I'd quit getting on the internet at work if I were counseled about it. I've been there 7 years, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't just blindly axe me at least not before I've trained a backup on my job.
I think I'd better consider this my warning, even though it's not specific to me.
"It has been brought to our attention by [parent company] that there has been an
increase in the use of the internet for purposes other than company
business. Please remember the use of the internet is strictly for
Business Purposes and should not be used to listen to the radio or other
non-business related usage. This excessive use of the internet is
causing a congestion of the circuit between Phoenix and Louisville which
makes our system resources slow. Be aware that the excessive usage can
be traced back to the employee and any further inappropriate usage will
be a performance issue that could result in a disciplinary action.
I have attached two documents: one is the company policy on internet
usage and the other document is a form of acknowledgment that you have
read and understood the policy. Please read and sign the acknowledgment
form if you currently have internet access or need internet access and
return to your supervisor no later then February 6th 2007. Please
comply with this deadline even if you have already completed this form
in the past.
Thank you,
[Wendy's boss]
Finance/IT Director"
I need to lay low for a while, having just signed that damn form. I listed the sites I use for business purposes, I gave permission to the parent company to monitor my usage, I understand I could lose my privilege if I violate the rules, yadda yadda. I asked our local computer guy if I had a site up but minimized if it still "counted" as being on the internet, or if it's the actual navigation that causes the problems, and he said even if I'm not doing anything the connection is still there, bogging down the network, so that's a no-no.
I wonder if it really does affect our connection, or if that's just bullshit being fed to us to have a reason to keep us off the internet. Otherwise we could get on at lunch break, no? That's our own time, not company time. But still we're not supposed to get on. I might sneak on before work and at lunch, but not right away, and I can't just leave 2 or 3 windows minimized all day like I've been doing. (If I get up early enough I could tag my threads while getting ready for work, at least)
I've been careful about clearing my history every time I get on. I thought that was all they could use to trace it. But someone posted semi-recently about how their company monitors their usage (was it you,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
karinablack?) and that's pretty scary - even though I think certain software was needed for that, they can install things and update everyone's computers from Louisville and we don't even know what they did. (It sucks when they do that with something that fucks our stuff up because no one tells each other what they're doing. But that's beside the point)
I really wish I could find out if they know who's been abusing the internet or not. It sounds like they're just trying to scare us, but I can't exactly go ask my boss about it without implicating myself, now, can I?
Remember the training I mentioned a few weeks ago? Training I'd be helping out with? That's to train people to start doing part of my job at their offices. This is a good thing, it's progress - there's no reason why I should be doing some of the things I do when each office can be responsible for their own stuff.
HOWEVER. I'm very possessive of my duties. I've had all this time to slack and still get my job done. When they actually implement this change (and it could be a while, knowing this place), I won't have much of a job left. I even mentioned that to the HR guy but he just laughed and rolled his eyes, said they'd give me work if I needed it.
Will they, though?
Yes, I've been there a long time. Yes, people like me and think I work hard and that my job is OMG!DIFFICULT. It's not, I'm just the only one who knows certain things. And I like it that way. I've completed every single payroll for them since October 2001. Never took time off during payroll times. If I was sick, I dragged my sick ass in to get it done if I needed to. In that respect, I am a good worker. But... I'm not that special of a snowflake when it comes down to it. I don't have a degree. I have a little other accounting experience but nothing too extensive. I'm only mediocre with Excel, and still need to learn Access which looks a hell of a lot more difficult.
I enjoy my job, the pay is decent (though everyone complains it's low), I'm comfortable there and above all else - I hate jobhunting. I hate having to sell myself in interviews and crap.
Anyhow... I can still slack offline by writing things out in Word and emailing them to myself. Though I'm sure they can check the email even more easily than the internet - I'm careful to delete my personal stuff from there too but... who knows.
Whoa, rambly.
I'd still like to think that I'd get talked to personally about my little LJ addiction before I'd get fired, and the wording in that bolded part is vague enough to assume that's probably the case, but it's not worth the risk. Especially in a "right to work" state.
In other news... I'm all caught up on Lost now and am overwhelmed by all the Lost LJ communities there are. Daaaaaaaaaaang. I must remind myself that there's no need to join a bazillion at once, nor do I need to see every Lost icon ever created. Locke is still my favorite.
I think I'd better consider this my warning, even though it's not specific to me.
"It has been brought to our attention by [parent company] that there has been an
increase in the use of the internet for purposes other than company
business. Please remember the use of the internet is strictly for
Business Purposes and should not be used to listen to the radio or other
non-business related usage. This excessive use of the internet is
causing a congestion of the circuit between Phoenix and Louisville which
makes our system resources slow. Be aware that the excessive usage can
be traced back to the employee and any further inappropriate usage will
be a performance issue that could result in a disciplinary action.
I have attached two documents: one is the company policy on internet
usage and the other document is a form of acknowledgment that you have
read and understood the policy. Please read and sign the acknowledgment
form if you currently have internet access or need internet access and
return to your supervisor no later then February 6th 2007. Please
comply with this deadline even if you have already completed this form
in the past.
Thank you,
[Wendy's boss]
Finance/IT Director"
I need to lay low for a while, having just signed that damn form. I listed the sites I use for business purposes, I gave permission to the parent company to monitor my usage, I understand I could lose my privilege if I violate the rules, yadda yadda. I asked our local computer guy if I had a site up but minimized if it still "counted" as being on the internet, or if it's the actual navigation that causes the problems, and he said even if I'm not doing anything the connection is still there, bogging down the network, so that's a no-no.
I wonder if it really does affect our connection, or if that's just bullshit being fed to us to have a reason to keep us off the internet. Otherwise we could get on at lunch break, no? That's our own time, not company time. But still we're not supposed to get on. I might sneak on before work and at lunch, but not right away, and I can't just leave 2 or 3 windows minimized all day like I've been doing. (If I get up early enough I could tag my threads while getting ready for work, at least)
I've been careful about clearing my history every time I get on. I thought that was all they could use to trace it. But someone posted semi-recently about how their company monitors their usage (was it you,
karinablack?) and that's pretty scary - even though I think certain software was needed for that, they can install things and update everyone's computers from Louisville and we don't even know what they did. (It sucks when they do that with something that fucks our stuff up because no one tells each other what they're doing. But that's beside the point)I really wish I could find out if they know who's been abusing the internet or not. It sounds like they're just trying to scare us, but I can't exactly go ask my boss about it without implicating myself, now, can I?
Remember the training I mentioned a few weeks ago? Training I'd be helping out with? That's to train people to start doing part of my job at their offices. This is a good thing, it's progress - there's no reason why I should be doing some of the things I do when each office can be responsible for their own stuff.
HOWEVER. I'm very possessive of my duties. I've had all this time to slack and still get my job done. When they actually implement this change (and it could be a while, knowing this place), I won't have much of a job left. I even mentioned that to the HR guy but he just laughed and rolled his eyes, said they'd give me work if I needed it.
Will they, though?
Yes, I've been there a long time. Yes, people like me and think I work hard and that my job is OMG!DIFFICULT. It's not, I'm just the only one who knows certain things. And I like it that way. I've completed every single payroll for them since October 2001. Never took time off during payroll times. If I was sick, I dragged my sick ass in to get it done if I needed to. In that respect, I am a good worker. But... I'm not that special of a snowflake when it comes down to it. I don't have a degree. I have a little other accounting experience but nothing too extensive. I'm only mediocre with Excel, and still need to learn Access which looks a hell of a lot more difficult.
I enjoy my job, the pay is decent (though everyone complains it's low), I'm comfortable there and above all else - I hate jobhunting. I hate having to sell myself in interviews and crap.
Anyhow... I can still slack offline by writing things out in Word and emailing them to myself. Though I'm sure they can check the email even more easily than the internet - I'm careful to delete my personal stuff from there too but... who knows.
Whoa, rambly.
I'd still like to think that I'd get talked to personally about my little LJ addiction before I'd get fired, and the wording in that bolded part is vague enough to assume that's probably the case, but it's not worth the risk. Especially in a "right to work" state.
In other news... I'm all caught up on Lost now and am overwhelmed by all the Lost LJ communities there are. Daaaaaaaaaaang. I must remind myself that there's no need to join a bazillion at once, nor do I need to see every Lost icon ever created. Locke is still my favorite.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 02:43 pm (UTC)Whether a site constantly uses bandwidth or not is down to the site - logging on to a site like livejournal only uses bandwidth when the page is downloaded, you are then viewing a local copy until you refresh, and it downloads again, so leaving it minimized wouldn't use any extra bandwidth.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-26 11:30 pm (UTC)Today was my first full day of not slacking - and you know, it felt kind of good. Maybe I could get used to it again.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-27 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-27 10:24 pm (UTC)dont worry it's not specifically you. i've gotten that at every job i've ever had. some guy even broke our server somehow storing porn and getting a virus from it! lol. you would have to have a real lame system to 'slow it down' like that, they're just saying that.
but yeah, the training people to do your job. that's always bad. you're so good at what you do and a hard worker, you could probably find something that pays you more! i think you should look around at least.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-28 12:07 am (UTC)We got a similar email to this just a few months ago but it wasn't as threatening.
I hope you're right and they ARE just saying that - but I still feel it's not worth the risk. I can live without slacking at work. I was so productive yesterday I felt good about myself when I got home too. That's kinda nice!
As for the looking for another job... see the bit about I HATE JOB HUNTING. lol
no subject
Date: 2007-01-28 07:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-28 07:31 am (UTC)Yeah, humans are a lazy bunch.