Would you report it?
By juicemilk
@juicemilk (2283)
Australia
December 6, 2006 8:19pm CST
I had Monday and Wednesday off from work, so another guy had to use my PC to complete my orders etc.
While using it he was browsing through various adult dating sites and looking at pictures (some fairly hard core).
Needless to say that sort of stuff shouldn't be accessed at work, and certainly not on someone elses workstation!
It wasn't really what I was expecting to see on my computer at work, so I let my immediate boss know and she put me onto the IT department, he checked it out and now hopefully we will get some adult site blocking software over at this office.
Would you have said anything? I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I spoke to another one of the girls and she told me I should.
12 people like this
71 responses
@euniceeleanor (5966)
• Singapore
7 Dec 06
it's a good thing that you reported it. i would have report it myself as others might think that it's me who accessed to these websites if i keep quiet about it. and when things are out in the open, it's too late to push the blame on the one who's responsible anymore.
5 people like this
@euniceeleanor (5966)
• Singapore
19 Dec 06
i have to agree with soldenski comment. and juicemilk : Thanks for the best response!
@soldenski (2503)
• United States
7 Dec 06
Your absense's must be documented so even if you did not tell your boss and it was found out later, you can prove you were not there. But, anyway's I would still tell my boss. I would hate to tell on my co-worker but, better he get fired then you get fired.
1 person likes this
@Mahindan (563)
• Canada
7 Dec 06
The professional thing to do in cases like this is to inform your superior and you did it and it is important. It is upto the superior to take action. The person who did this should be given a verbal warning. If he has done it previously then he should be fired. I have told everyone who works under me that under no circumstance will i tolerate such behaviour and so far no one in my staff have ever done it. It is best to be upfront about matters like these.
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
Thanks :)
I'm going to go have a looksie on his PC downstairs later to see if he has been doing for a long time...I'm so nosy lol
3 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
Thanks, I thought about that, didn't want to be too much of a nark! But then i realised the PC he uses downstairs doesn't have access to the internet anyway, obviously why he had to use mine!
@jeffaim (215)
• United States
7 Dec 06
i agree that you did the right thing - but it's good not to be nosy and try to investigate it yourself. Especially if he has done it before and you're found investigating on his computer, it could cause things to be worse for you - it could seem like you are trying to make things worse for him and you don't want to get into a direct conflict. That's why it was good for you to just report to your supervisor and let it be handled professionally by them in the proper way - you've made the decision to do the right thing, so you should continue to do the right thing and focus on your work while at work!
1 person likes this
@toonatoons (3737)
• Philippines
7 Dec 06
i think the first thing you'd have to do is to approach the guy, tell him that you know what he's been up to. if, in spite of that, he continues to do these things, i guess, your next step would be to report him to the management already.
5 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
that was the first thing I was going to do, but he smells and is just gross lol
3 people like this
@Metallion (2227)
• United States
7 Dec 06
yes, because if they tracked it to your IP and didn't have it documented that someone else was doing it you could have been fired.
5 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
thanks :) that was the main reason I did tell someone, didnt want them to think it was me!
3 people like this
@Silverchic (396)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
I definitely would have reported it (mainly because I work for a large worldwide company and they have a very strict view on that sort of thing!). But also to protect yourself! What if it had been found on your machine and YOU got fired for it? Much better to report it now than take the blame later on down the track.
5 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
luckily it's in the history as days that I wasn't at work :)
3 people like this
@greatlakesgirl (140)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I probably would have spoken to him personally before reporting it. I would have made a logged note about it somewhere in case any questions came up about it but give the guy one warning and tell him if it happens again you will report it to the supervisors.
5 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
its not up to me to give him a warning, it's written into the contract about using the internet etc for inappropriate things
3 people like this
@greatlakesgirl (140)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I suppose but you asked what we would do and I shared my opinion. Do with it what you will.
3 people like this
@happygal68 (3275)
• United States
7 Dec 06
You bet I would have reported it! If he is using your workstation it could have come back on you! The last company I worked at made us lock or log out if we ever had to step away from the computer. No one else was allowed to use it unless they were logged into it themselves. I would have thought they would have already had sites like that blocked, my company sure did. We were all blocked from certain sites, and other workers did have access to some depending on what position they held.
2 people like this
@mirage108 (3402)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I think you did the right thing as if you didnt report it someone would have thought you were viewing those type of sites, and it could have gotten you terminated.
5 people like this
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
haha maybe I should tell on him all the time....lol
2 people like this
@juliocstryfe (2019)
• Brazil
7 Dec 06
I'd report it, as you cold get fired or people might think its you
Have a nice day!
@lilmissy (481)
• United States
7 Dec 06
yes unfortunately you should hve reported him because if you didnt then you may have been fired for something someone else did .if i found out a co worker was doing this from his own station i wouldnt say anything as long as it didnt involve me but once he broke a rule that may lead to termintion from your workstation he involved you ,you did the right thing tho it was silly , i mean he may have been browsing over his lunchtime thinking of ways to get romantic with the wife later that night ,who knows and who cares but he shouldnt have done it from your workstation.
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
thanks, I agree, if it was his own PC I wouldn't care as much, I think I might still say something maybe to him, because it is atill against company policy
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
8 Dec 06
Thanks :)
I'm going to set up his own user account so when I am away then everything he does is logged under his account not mine!
@mytwo_daughters (2663)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I think you should have too...what if something happened while you were home sick that was much worse. You wouldn't want to get in trouble for something you didn't do. I would never let someone use my computer or password unless I was in view.
@juicemilk (2283)
• Australia
7 Dec 06
unfortunately it can't be helped, its the only one up in the office and has all the files/emails on it needed to process orders
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
7 Dec 06
It is a definite since there are not spyware and possible viruses attached to the tracking ids' your boss would not want his computer(s) down due to the stupidity of one person. Good Luck with getting this fixed.
1 person likes this
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
7 Dec 06
sorry not should now spyware attached. the typo fairy got me. lol
@volschenkh (1043)
• South Africa
7 Dec 06
You did the right thing! He should learn his lesson, as you could have been implicated in the future for watch adult material on your computer. Maybe you shouldhave also spoken to him about it first, and you could have come to some kind of agreement before reporting him to the IT department.
2 people like this
