As part of the MGEU Technological Change Committee’s ongoing commitment to protecting members’ interests with improved employer policies, strong contract language and ongoing information surrounding new technology in workplaces, the committee has decided to launch a series of web bulletins on mgeu.ca.
These bulletins are intended to help members stay up-to-date on the latest issues and technology impacting MGEU members. To do this, they need to hear from you. So please share your stories and concerns about the effect technology is having on your workplace by contacting the committee at tech.change@mgeu.ca.
What is Social Networking?
You may have heard the term “Social Networking” before and while it may have been traditionally used to describe any type of gathering or sharing of ideas between people, the Internet has given the term new meaning by creating an entirely new way for people to connect.
Social networking websites (aka social sites) are essentially online communities. Depending on the website, community members are already friends or share a common interest such as hobbies, religion, or politics.
Some common social sites are Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Linkedin. Nearly 12 million Canadians use Facebook (250 million worldwide) to keep in touch with family and friends by updating their pages with fresh postings and photos.
What many don’t know is they might be sharing more than just photos and postings. In fact, there is the potential with any form of electronic networking to share personal information without even knowing it.
Canada's federal privacy commissioner recently went after Facebook, saying that the networking site breaches the country's privacy laws by keeping users' personal information indefinitely – even after some members close their accounts. Many of the thousands of games and quizzes being offered on Facebook are there just to collect information about users.
Aside from privacy concerns, there are a number of additional social networking pitfalls as it relates to your working life. Many employers use sites like Facebook and MySpace to pre-screen potential candidates for a job. If they don’t like what they see, you’re out of the running for the job, even if you seem to be an otherwise qualified and dedicated worker.
If you already have a job, your boss may not be impressed with something he/she finds out about you on a social site. This could limit your career if you’ve been pining for a promotion or, in extreme cases, get you fired. Remember, a seemingly innocuous post or picture could have serious repercussions.
Networking and NOTworking
The biggest problem social networking sites have posed for employees and unions alike is their use on the job. Many employees, including some MGEU members, have discovered that their employer is keeping tabs on their workstation activity, specifically their Internet use.
Many employers, including the Province of Manitoba, have blocked such sites to keep employees on task while at work, but others have left it up to workers to be responsible about web surfing at work. As a result, unions are still seeing a number of employees being disciplined for using sites like Facebook at work.
To address this issue, the MGEU has created a poster for workplaces, warning members about the risks of surfing the net at work. Click here, to order copies or download the poster.
What You Can Do
It may seem obvious, but the safest thing you can do is not use social networking sites. If there is no way you can part with your Facebook or MySpace account, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Never use a social networking site or conduct personal business online during work time. Period.
2. Never give out your personal information. Obviously you need to post your name, but that doesn’t mean you need to list your address, birth date, phone number, work details etc. Regardless of what you are told by any website about the privacy with which your data will be treated, it is best to assume that anybody could gain access to it.
3. Be very cautious about what types of photos or messages you are posting. It’s pretty easy to take something out of context, so avoid any inside jokes with friends that others might be able to read. Before you post a comment or question to it, ask yourself if it's better to be sent as a private email.
4. Close your network. On Facebook you can make your profile public to everyone or you can choose to close your network to everyone except for a small group of friends. Further, when you accept a friend request, don't be afraid to click the box that says "limit my profile." Don't feel obligated to accept a friend request from someone you don't know.
5. Watch out for quizzes, games and forms. Part of what people love about sites like Facebook are the thousands of third-party applications for trivia games, video posts, astrology, etc. Many of the companies that create these applications use them to collect names and personal information for marketing purposes, so be aware of forms you might be asked to fill out in order to use the application.
6. Watch what others are posting about you. For example, it’s a good idea to periodically search for yourself in Google or check out your friends’ walls in Facebook to see if there is anything of questionable taste being posted about you. In the electronic age, you shouldn’t be surprised by what someone (including friends) has recorded and posted on the web. If there’s any way an embarrassing photo could affect your job, you may want to rethink posing for that photo at your next party.