Get advice on how to deal with jerks at work Check out the book 'Jerks At Work' and other titles by Ken Lloyd Ph.D. Return to the JerksAtWork.com homepage Learn more about Ken Lloyd, Ph.D. Submit a question to Ken Lloyd, Ph.D.
 

Internet

Here are the questions filed under this category. To read Ken's advice on any item, click on the link "Read Ken's Answer."


We know that many of our employees are using the Internet for personal matters on company time, and this is strictly against company policy. If we try to enforce the policy, we may lose several employees, and, frankly, they are getting their work done even if they are on the Internet. Is there an upside to all of this?
Read Ken's Answer

There is one person here who keeps forwarding email to warn or advise us on matters that are nothing but myths. I have checked out what she sends, and it is junk. I have shown her sites that disprove her messages, but as soon as she gets some new nonsense, she sends it. How do we get her to stop?
Read Ken's Answer

One of the people I work with found a ten-minute IQ test on the Internet. Just for fun, several of us took it. Almost everyone scored fairly well, but I was shocked to see how low I scored. I know my IQ is higher than that. Whether people are kidding me or not, I think they are treating me differently. Now what do I do?
Read Ken's Answer

There is a clerk who is supposed to be my backup when I am busy, but she is either playing on the Internet or on long personal calls. Our boss has spoken to her and she stops for a day and then starts again. He does not want a confrontation with her because she's a union employee. How can I convince my boss to correct this situation?
Read Ken's Answer

I have written online about myself and some of my previous employers, and sometimes my language was harsh. I'm going to be changing jobs soon, and I know there's a lot of talk about companies checking applicants' online behaviors. Is that really happening now?
Read Ken's Answer

If my boss is on the Internet when I walk into his office, he immediately clears the screen. It makes me wonder what he is doing. Everyone's very busy here, and it's not fair if he's out there playing games or sitting in chat rooms. Should I say something to his boss?
Read Ken's Answer

We have an open work area, and whenever I walk by one particular employee's workstation, he quickly exits whatever web site he is visiting. I don't want to treat him like a baby, but I am concerned about what appears to be going on. What do you suggest?
Read Ken's Answer

We have an open work area, and whenever I walk by one particular employee's workstation, he quickly exits whatever web site he is visiting. I don't want to treat him like a baby, but I am concerned about what appears to be going on. What do you suggest?
Read Ken's Answer

I was laid off about two months ago and I just found a new job. I was surprised to receive an email directing me to a site that is sponsored by my former company and designed to let former employees know about things going on there. I'd never go back, so what's the point?
Read Ken's Answer

My manager just told me that I have been spending too much time on golf sites on the Internet. I admit that I occasionally check out a couple of these sites, but I am more concerned that the company found out about this. Don't employees have some privacy?
Read Ken's Answer

When I sit at my desk, I usually tuck one leg under the other. One of the senior consultants said that a personality test on the Internet found that when a male sits like this, it is a sign of deference and weakness. He added that I should never do it in front of a client. Did you ever hear of anything like this?
Read Ken's Answer

I am thinking about giving my employees an attitude survey to learn more about what they like and dislike about working here. I found a free attitude survey on the Internet, and it looks pretty good to me. When I showed it to one of the managers, he was very critical of it. What should I be looking for in these surveys?
Read Ken's Answer

A good friend of mine is unemployed and called me at work and asked me to check out a job that he saw on the Internet. I went to the site, and just when I found it, my manager walked by my cubicle and saw it on the screen. I tried to explain, but I'm sure he thinks I'm looking for another job, which I am not. Should I talk to him further about what happened, or just let it go?
Read Ken's Answer

I am new here and I am in a fairly senior position. On my first day, the Human Resources Manager wrote and posted a brief biographical write-up about me on the company website. The wording made me look more junior than I really am, and a couple of important points in my bio were left out. Should I ask for a correction or just let it go?
Read Ken's Answer

Several employees in my department and in departments that work with us have told me that one of my employees has been spending a great deal of time surfing the net. She never does this in my presence. I am concerned about disciplining her because of hearsay, but she has fallen behind on some of her projects, too. Should I just focus on that?
Read Ken's Answer

My manager told me that the company is monitoring employee internet use, and that I am spending too much time surfing the net. I get my job done, and I resent this intrusion into my privacy. Besides, doesn’t management have anything better to do?
Read Ken's Answer

One of our co-workers is getting married in the spring, and she has been spending huge amounts of time on the Internet and telephone planning her wedding. She is our friend, and we will probably be invited to the wedding, but it is difficult to keep covering for her. Her work is falling behind, and so is ours. What should we do?
Read Ken's Answer

I sent a link to a website with a funny visual joke to one of my co-workers. He thought it was hysterical and forwarded it to about 20 other people here. When my manager got wind of this, he reprimanded both of us for violating company policy on using company computers. I only sent it to one person, and my co-worker sent it all over the place, so he is the one who abused the system, not me. What do you think?
Read Ken's Answer

I am applying for a new job, and one of my friends told me that employers are checking out applicants online. When I enter my name on some of the search engines, I can find blogs that are not real complimentary about me, but most of it is funny stuff. So are the clips on one of the video sites. Are employers really checking out applicants this way? If so, what can I do?
Read Ken's Answer