| Water Cooler
Information and insight
about your career and the workplace at large
June 2007
News and Views
Employers are phishing their workers,
reports Amy Joyce in her “Life at Work” column,
published May 20, 2007, in the Washington Post. Why? To see
who’s a security risk. Two phishing expeditions in one company
revealed that 30 of 100 workers “took the bait within the first 20
minutes.” Joyce also reports that, according to the ePolicy Institute,
employers are putting their workers under other types of surveillance,
primarily because of worries about legal liabilities. For instance,
76 percent monitor employee Web site connections, 36 percent use technology
to track content and/or keystrokes, and 55 percent retain and review email.
More
Learn how to protect your privacy during a job search
by following tips available from Job-Hunt.org,
recommends WaterCooler reader and executive coach Beth Hand.
Two reasons: (1) the existence of "bogus" job sites interested only in collecting your personal information
and (2) “scammers” who’ve figured out that job sites allow "employers" to search their databases and keep
copies of résumés.
Details
Companies are calling for Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to help identify
and assist domestic violence victims.
An employer coalition is working with EAPs to ensure that they know how
to spot signs of abuse. Note: It’s not about workplace safety, but about productivity, reports Jessica
Marquez for Workforce Management. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
domestic violence costs $727.8 million annually (and 7.9 million paid workdays) in lost productivity.
More
Toolbox
Here are two resources for keeping email from taking over your life:
(1) Lifehack.org’s post on a
nine-step program to cure email addiction.
(2) Timothy Ferris’ Change This manifesto
for going on a low-information diet. You can find more about Ferris at his Four-Hour Work Week blog.
Blog Entry
EAPs and your privacy
Check it out!
On Stage
Workshops and Book Signings
Rolls Royce Womens Leadership Conference,
June 13, Montreal, Canada.
|
