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Thieving Ex-Employees
A new survey is out showing that employees are most likely to steal company data when leaving a job. The findings (and their implications for businesses) are summarized well in this article, excerpted below:
“Conducted by Harris Interactive, the online survey probed 1,594 full- and part-time employees and contractors in the United States and Great Britain about their attitudes toward accessing and viewing of company-owned data.
In response to the survey, 49 percent of US workers and 52 percent of British workers admitted they would take some form of company property with them when leaving a position: 29 percent (US) and 23 percent (UK) would take customer data, including contact information; 23 percent (US) and 22 percent (UK) would take electronic files; 15 percent (US) and 17 percent (UK) would take product information, including designs and plans; and 13 percent (US) and 22 percent (UK) would take small office supplies.
‘Companies should be gravely concerned with these survey responses,’ said Jackie Gilbert, vice president of marketing and cofounder at SailPoint. ‘I believe the survey illustrates that many employees may not believe that taking company data is equivalent to stealing. It highlights what I call a ‘moral grey area’ around ownership of electronic data. We see this in the fact that there are more workers who are comfortable taking various forms of company data, such as customer contact information, than workers who would take a stapler. As frequently as employees move to competitive companies, these attitudes are major red flags for employers.’
‘The survey highlights an ongoing challenge that companies face: how to balance business risk with the need to give employees access to sensitive applications and data in order to perform their jobs,’ said Gilbert. ‘As a starting point, companies need to clearly define policies in this area and educate workers about treatment of confidential data. Step two is to strictly limit and control what applications and data are accessible and to put automated systems in place to promptly remove access when an employee transfers roles or leaves the company. As a step three, companies should conduct quarterly access reviews to ensure that employees truly need the access privileges they have – especially for highly sensitive systems. Companies may also need to monitor the activity of employees who access highly confidential data in order to prevent incidences of fraud or data breaches.’
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Blackberry Use and FLSA / OT Risks
An interesting legal case (well, probably a downright scary one for many employers) coming out of Chicago … where a police sergeant is suing the city, as part of a class-action lawsuit under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Jeffrey Allen claims that he (and by extension any other workers in similar situations) is owed thousands of dollars in back pay (overtime) as a result of continuing to work by logging onto his Blackberry even though his official shift had ended. Read more here. Download the legal filing here.
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OSHA Injury & Illness Prevention Meetings Big Success
OSHA recently completed three stakeholder meetings – in NJ, TX and Wash, DC – on its Illness Prevention Program standard, attended by hundreds of participants representing a wide array of industries nationwide. So popular, an additional two meetings had to be scheduled, in DC and CA. Click here for summary notes.
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Gov’t Workers Paid More
Nothing better than getting paid fairly for a hard day’s work… but how about getting overpaid? How does that feel? Well, likely few Working Joes or Corporate Kathies ever complain about that. New data shows people who work for the government (local/state/federal) are rewarded rather handsomely, especially as compared to their peers in the private workplace… often making twice as much. I’m envious. Maybe it’s time to go talk to the boss to renegotiate my pay package.
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More Americans Staying Put – Home, At Work
A new report out by the Washington, DC-based Brookings Institution, arguing that the recent Great Recession (and few would argue that it hasn’t been monumental is scope, size and impact) has left many Americans “flat-footed” – with “would-be movers… unable to find financing to buy a new home, buyers for their existing homes, or a new job in more desirable areas.” Read more here and here (PDF).
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Debtor’s Dilemma
Debt collection has always been a difficult business to be in – going after folks who owe other folks money. But it seems the industry sometimes goes too far, often attempting to collect from people who in no way shape or form are tied to the original debt. “They don’t give a flip,” Michael L. Hughes said. “They’re not paying people to sit in an office and correct people’s mistakes. They’re in there to collect money.”
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Are Sales People Paid too Much?
Read, and then join the discussion.
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ER Bills, Worth the Fight
Talk about confusing – just try to discern what your being charged for after having received care in an Emergency Room (ER). This article helps consumers navigate the payment maze – how to ensure your paying a fair price for services rendered. Tips include not paying retail prices, be aware of pay-related surprises, avoid the ER if possible (visit urgent care clinics more often), scrutinize all bills, make an offer, don’t let unpaid bills go into collection.
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Health Care Pay Practices Under Fire
News out that the Obama administration is taking a hard line when it comes to employee wage protection and enforcement – in particular, targeting companies in the health care sector. Hospitals and nursing homes are coming under added scrutiny. Due to the very nature of the work, employees in these fields are prone to spend more time actually working when on break or eating meals and not being appropriately compensated. Read more here.
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Social Security Deposits and Payday Lenders
The National Consumer Law Center recently launched a campaign to prevent banks from being able to snatch money from direct deposited Social Security benefit checks to settle payday loans.
Read more here, official news release (PDF), and here, “Runaway Bandwagon: How the Government’s Push for Direct Deposit of Social Security Exposes Seniors to Predatory Bank Loans” (PDF).
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