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.
Time Theft is Theft
Time Theft: Employees using an employer’s time for their own purposes instead of what they are being paid to do.
Everyone knows that it’s wrong to help yourself to someone’s dinner in the lunchroom or outfit your home office by raiding the stationary cabinet at work. It’s common sense.
What about getting paid while you surf the web at work? Is that theft? Well, not many people think about it, but watching a funny YouTube video, updating your Facebook profile, checking your Yahoo account or paying a few bills online while at work is exactly that: theft. And workers today are increasingly getting reprimanded for doing these things at work.
It’s becoming common place for employers to perform desk audits on employees to monitor what they’ve been doing on their PC. The information they retrieve (jokes, emails, videos) are all subject to scrutiny by the employer. If it’s deemed that the employee has used excessive time on the company computer for personal reasons, it’s considered theft of time.
In some extreme cases employers have even asked their employees to pay back the time that was stolen by giving up banked time or vacation time.
But time theft doesn’t begin or end with excessive PC use – taking extended breaks, spending a large part of your day talking on the phone about personal business or even texting friends on your mobile phone can all be considered theft of time.
The MGEU Tech Change Committee’s goal is not to put people on edge while at the office. The truth is most employers know their employees have lives outside of the office and if they need to take the odd phone call from their child’s school or check their personal email once in a while for an important message, many are willing to look the other way so long as it doesn’t interfere with their work or become excessive. But not all employers are this forgiving. Some do not allow ANY personal business at work and they are within their rights to make such a demand.
That’s why it’s important that you familiarize yourself with your collective agreement as well as any policies the employer may have in place to deal with conducting personal business and using a computer at work.
If in doubt, play it safe by only using the employer’s computer to do your job and if you need to make a personal call, wait until after work or for one of your breaks to do so.