My boss told me I can't visit ATS

Well, given that it is on YOUR laptop, I don't see where he has a legal leg to stand on. Now, if you were using company computers that would be a whole other issue. Honestly, I'd start looking for somewhere else to work, but that's just me.



[edit on 15-3-2010 by SpeakerofTruth]

Originally posted by jumpingbeanz
maybe he ... doesn't want you spending all your spare time on a computer instead of sleeping, perhaps he just wants he best work from you without spending all nite on ats...just a view

Maybe his boss shouldn't be acting like his Daddy.

Reversing that logic:

• Maybe the boss is worrying too much about what people do in their private lives, and not enough about his own job.
  
• Maybe the boss isn't focusing on how to maintain employee morale.
  
• Maybe the store isn't as efficient as it could be because the boss is compensating for his lack of business knowledge by poking his nose in employees' private lives as a way to find "scape goats" for his professional shortcomings.
  
• Maybe we should starting poking our noses into this boss' personal life to find out what he's doing which we can misconstrue as being counterproductive to the store's profit margins.
  

You have a Sprinternet card. How bout going off-site on your breaks?

In your car... across the street... at Starbucks... whatever. I'm pretty sure they don't require you to take breaks on premisis?

Or you can stand up for your 'rights'. That usually works out well.

Seriously... get some beenie weenies and post from your car

G'day

I'm a "boss" so I do this:

I flog all my guys within an inch of their life so I can sit on ATS all day!

reply to post by dune_mister


Then get your ass out of here.... Geeez.....

[edit on 15-3-2010 by SpeakerofTruth]

Originally posted by moonzoo7

Wow, you're a company guy, huh? Where does offensiveness start and stop?
I really am sorry to be so snarky with you, but you kind of opened that door with your tone. ( IMHO ). It's often not easy or fun to be the boss, I've been there. It's often unrewarding socially. Bosses get the "big" bucks to suck it up.

For all I know, you're a swell guy and a riot at parties. I'm certain you have many good qualities, but I'm glad I don't work for you.

Hi moonzoo7,

Yes I am a company guy. By sweat, blood and the loss of countless hours with my family I am indeed a company guy. I have gone without getting paid on more pay periods than I can remember, just to make sure that my staff would get paid and the company would continue.

I'm guessing you haven't read my previous posts, not that they don't allude to the same sort of direction, but would provide you with insight that you are lacking. My employees have been with me between 4 and 12 years. I seldom go through staff, and most would turn down other jobs to stay at my place. I pay better than most, cover all sorts of additional expenses that really aren't my problem and I look out for the employees futures as well as their present.

When I outlined the above, I did so as many ATS members don't know what an employer really pays for. Many think that the cheque they receive for their work is the sum total of the employers obligation. This is simply not the case.

Now to be fair, your lack of research, your assumption of the kind of person I am and your ability to immediately challenge a person without actually weighing all of the information at hand, kinda tells me that I'm glad you don't work for me either.

When I referred to a choice client stopping by and seeing what may have been going on, it is because this had actually happened in my office. You never know when that important person may come around, or when that next client will be the one that puts you over the top. So you should always act like it could happen.

So it is easy, in this thread to blame the employer, and maybe he is a dick. But the principal of the issue at hand remains the same. Would you feel any different if the site in question wasn't ATS, but a gore site?

..Ex

reply to post by Misoir



You're on your lunch break using your own lap top, so you aren't on company time and I would have told him where he can stick it. Then again that's probably why I have lost a few jobs here and there. lol. I don't know how it works in Florida, but not being on company time while using a personal laptop, he can't fire you for that.

reply to post by harrytuttle


"Maybe the boss is worrying too much about what people do in their private lives, and not enough about his own job."

Surfing the net, even while on break, inside your workplace is hardly anything close to your private life.

Maybe the boss is worrying that his employee is bringing his private life to work. The two should always remain separate.

"Maybe the boss isn't focusing on how to maintain employee morale."

It is a rare treat when you find a boss that can keep all of his employees happy, but it is not an obligation. There are always a few that will not be pleased.

"Maybe the store isn't as efficient as it could be because the boss is compensating for his lack of business knowledge by poking his nose in employees' private lives as a way to find "scape goats" for his professional shortcomings."

Private Life =/= Browsing a website at work, even if you're on break.
Private Life = Home, wherever that may be for the individual.

Maybe the boss is worried that ATS will get to his employee's head, as conspiracy theories do to so many in the world, and that after his break his attention will not be 100% on his work, but rather a mix of work and ATS thoughts.

"Maybe we should starting poking our noses into this boss' personal life to find out what he's doing which we can misconstrue as being counterproductive to the store's profit margins. "

That was just ignorant. My apologies if I offended you.

Well, I didn't read all the juvenile responses to this post because I am old.I will make you aware of this.

You are an employee working for them.They can tell you what you do and not do in their store on their property.

I have worked where we could not play cards in the break room.

I have worked where we could not smoke anywhere on the property except a designated smoking are back in the corner of the property.

It wasn't because of a safety issue but one whiny "girl"(insert any appropriate word here) that always had her window open and didn't like the smell of smoke wafting in her 2nd floor window.

Not even in our car in the parking lot because people threw their butts down.

I have worked at so many places where they think they can control you.

But there is a way to pay the SOB back if you want to be creative.

Find out his address.Not to hard just gogleit or use a people locator website.

You work at a grocery store.

They have magazine racks.

Wander by and shake out those cards to subscribe to the magazines.

ALL of them!

Go to one those big box book store that have magazine racks and do it there to.

Gay magazines,black magazines tattoo magazines, crafting magazines,get them all.

Send them in a few at a time so they come to his house a few at a time.Print the address labels on a printer with stick on labels and use them instead of writing all the information out.

This guy will be on the phone so much trying to get these magazines canceled he won't have time to mess with you.

Keep some in your glove box to drop in the mail on the way home after a hard day working for him.

You will laugh so hard thinking about him coming home and there are more magazines there!

I did this to a racist I worked with that did not know I didn't like his remarks.

He was getting Ebony and all these black magazines and couldn't cancel them!


[edit on 15-3-2010 by Oneolddude]

Some good case law, opinions and rulings that I am suprised wasn't posted earlier by all the lawyers on this thread.

www.bsos.umd.edu...

In the end an employer can terminate anyone they want and just say it was lack of work, especially in today's economy, so in the end what was the original intent of the post?

To find out what his rights were?

To sue?

To have his boss fired?

Or to just vent?

In any event reading everything he signed to become an employee first, then deciding whether or not to wage a battle.

ECPA

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 updated the laws that were in existence from 1967, regarding government surveillance. It states that employers may monitor communications employees make if the employee is informed of the surveillance, or if the company has reason to believe its interests are at risk. The ECPA applies to phones, pagers, cell phones, and computer transactions, including email. It also put restrictions on government surveillance, requiring warrants for the collection of material (Rubenstein).

There are three main exceptions to seizures of communication in the ECPA. First is the provider exception. If an employer provides the service, they have the right to monitor usage. The second exception is the “ordinary course of business exception.” This means that if the employer has a good reason to monitor everything, it is acceptable. This is most often the case in customer support phone systems. The third exception is with consent. If the employee signs a consent form, the employer can monitor whatever is agreed upon in the consent form (Duke Law, 2001).

[edit on 15-3-2010 by Realtruth]

He would'nt have told you he'd fire you if he couldn't. In my state michigan they can fire you for what ever they want. Even if they don't like the color of your shirt.

I told a guy he was an ass and he sucker punched me in the face when I wasn't looking. They fired us both. If I would have known I was gona get fired I would have layed him out. I was told by a lawyer that a company can fire you at any time they want. Except for the usual like disabilities descrimicantion and things of that sort. And even then it's still dicy and they could probobly get away with it.

I'm sure in Florida you probobly have even less rights given it a right to work state.

reply to post by m0r1arty

Chill out bring in a copy of Mein Kampf and read that instead

That is the best effing idea I've seen...

that is great

I accidentally left ATS open while using my work computer, the next day my boss pulled it up and asked me if I had gone onto this site, I told him all he had to do was check the cookies and see what time it was visited, and he would know who did it, and that yes, indeed it was me on ATS. He wanted to know my name on here. I refused to give it. He didn't get mad, I think he just wanted to know what type of discussions I would have on such a site. He did bring up to me later that there were a lot of threads on earthquakes and I talk about world quakes all the time, I told him he was quite the detective! Earthquakes are one subject I always update myself on here! But he does not care if I go on ATS.

Originally posted by Realtruth

ECPA

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 updated the laws that were in existence from 1967, regarding government surveillance. It states that employers may monitor communications employees make if the employee is informed of the surveillance, or if the company has reason to believe its interests are at risk. The ECPA applies to phones, pagers, cell phones, and computer transactions, including email. It also put restrictions on government surveillance, requiring warrants for the collection of material (Rubenstein).

There are three main exceptions to seizures of communication in the ECPA. First is the provider exception. If an employer provides the service, they have the right to monitor usage. The second exception is the “ordinary course of business exception.” This means that if the employer has a good reason to monitor everything, it is acceptable. This is most often the case in customer support phone systems. The third exception is with consent. If the employee signs a consent form, the employer can monitor whatever is agreed upon in the consent form (Duke Law, 2001).

[edit on 15-3-2010 by Realtruth]

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 is only applied to company property not self owned property.

This guy is trying to work and earn a living. His boss is harrassing him in his own time. Is he ever complaining about your work? Do you come into work looking guilty, tired withdrawn or coming down? Are you there all the time or missing days? Are you going around committing violent crimes or robbing people to get crack in your time off? Has he got a real reason to talk to you this way? Does he want you to become violent?

Its funny, this guy should be taken out into the street and publicly humiliated. That is if he admits to it, if not then he should be trialled and WARNED about his behavior. Keep the pressure on him to preform his role properly. So many people have been telling you to get a lawyer? Where is the justice there? Why do we continually allow ourselves to be bullied? Whats for wanting a better society.. it comes down to communication, and this is a good place to start.

Well I live in Britain and he could not fire you for that here.

WHATS HIS PROBLEM!

Originally posted by Misoir
I work weekends at a grocery store called Win Dixie. Yesterday I was on a lunch break and the store supervisor walked up to me while I was sitting on a bench and on ATS via my laptop and he walked over and leaned against the wall. Then he leaned forward and told me that he doesn't want me visiting these websites because they lie and distort facts. I was stunned and did not reply, and then he started to walk away and told me if he catches me on this website again I will be fired.

First off why does it even matter that I am on ATS while on break? Second how could he fire me for just visiting a website that is perfectly safe and legal? What is this guy’s problem and can he legally fire me for this. I don't understand what the problem is I was on a lunch break.

[edit on 3/14/10 by Misoir]

I would tell your boss that he is in violation of your 1st amendment rights, and if he persists, him and his company will face lawsuits in the likes he's never heard of. Contact the ACLU and State Attorney Generals office. Right to work state or not, they cannot "Censor" what you read at work unless you are on the company network on a company computer. And, furthermore, if you are on your lunch hour or break time and on your own computer, they cannot do diddly squat about it.

Originally posted by Flakey
I am surprised nobody has told you this yet. GO ABOVE HIS HEAD! Report him, his actions, and the threat to the district supervisor above him. Make sure to explain that this is a family friendly website that does not even allow dirty language and that the incident happened on your own time.

Florida is an "at will" state meaning they can fire you for any reason so long as it is not illegal. Ideological discrimination could be considered illegal. You can not be discriminated against because of your political views. You have the right to visit this website on your off time with out fear of reprisal.

Report him, Win Dixie seems like a good company to me. Frankly I am surprised. If you do get fired over this post it and send me a U2U so I can be sure to get it. I don't want to shop at a grocery store that will fire its employees over visiting a website like this.

Florida Workers Rights

[edit on 14-3-2010 by Flakey]

Perfect answer.

Just because it is an "at will" state, doesn't mean they have the right to exude authority into areas that are none of their concern, outside of business hours - and while they may claim the right to be able to govern activity 'on premises', this is clearly not a personal matter, like smokin', this is private stuff. Too many times, people assume that just because an order has come from above that it is the will of the entity granting authority to that individual (Win Dixie, in this case), when in reality (in most cases) this is simply the personal opinion of the boss imposing his personal beliefs into unrelated situations.

Bottom line: you can be sure this guy has personal experience (negatively) with ATS - he knows enough that we discuss conspiracy theory, here, just judging on his statement.





[edit on 3/15/2010 by SquirrelNutz]

reply to post by Evisscerator


The 1st amendment doesn't give you any rights. I restricts the government from infringing on the natural right to free speech. It doesn't restrict private entities.