Advice Please!

[star2601]

Hi everyone

I work in a school setting, in a district with many school. There are 3 of us nurses, one being my boss. I have my own office at my own school. 1 or 2 times a week, my boss comes in early and uses my office for whatever reason. This morning, she confronted me about finding a cover letter saved to my computer. I was caught off guard, I didn't think anyone would go through the computer, so I just apologized and moved on.

Now obviously its eating at me, and I don't know if I should follow up. I've been here for 7 months. I've applied to grad school and other jobs in hopes of a better salary/location. Do you all think I should follow up and say anything? Thanks!

[sunshyne17]

You can say something if you like but from my perspective, you missed the opportunity when she confronted you.

And I am confused - why did you apologize? Because you worked on it while at work? There is nothing wrong with having a cover letter or contemplating a job change...

[Sam J.]

It's not your office or your computer (or your cell phone or your tablet or your anything else that is provided by your employer), it belongs to your employer. And you have to assume your employer monitors and records your every keystroke, your Internet activity, your phone calls, your texts, and your every movement and use of their equipment, and also they are free to search 'their' offices at any time. Also, it's doubtful your employer has a policy that allows you to use their office or their equipment for your personal business of any kind- and there's no reason you should, knowing you have a zero chance of privacy (even less so when you are using their equipment to look for another job??). The only follow up, really, for you is to apologize to your boss profusely, and then to hope you don't get fired. Also, you say your boss uses your office for whatever reaon, yet knowing that you still felt OK creating a cover letter on that computer?? Apologize, apologize, and then REALLY apologize.

[Sam J.]

For that matter, many places also have the right to search your personal computer if you take it to work, your purse, your mobile devices, your person, your vehicle, your anything- and that's only to get more intrusive as time progresses.

Separation of Church and State is always your best bet.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't bring it up again. Important lesson learned: do job hunting, resume and cover letter writing on your own time on your own computer.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

For that matter, many places also have the right to search your personal computer if you take it to work, your purse, your mobile devices, your person, your vehicle, your anything- and that's only to get more intrusive as time progresses.

Separation of Church and State is always your best bet.

Are you saying that any employer has the right, at any time, for whatever reason or for no reason, has the right to search an employee's person and possessions? I know Big Brother has gotten much bigger than when we were young, but that sounds worse than I ever thought it was.

Also, how would a person use the doctrine you mentioned about separation of Church and State to prevent unreasonable searches by employers? Isn't it the Fourth Amendment that covers (in theory) protection against unreasonable search and seizure?

If the employer calls in the police or sheriff, it would be different than if the hospital security staff or the DON or CEO, your Manager or whoever were confronting you. Or would it? Please elaborate. You say "many" places. Who are you thinking of? Thanks.

[Sam J.]

If you read your employment handbook you might be suprised that it allows you, your car, your office, your anything to be searched while you are on company property. You give that permission, if they require it, by signing that handbook. With the escalating violence in health care, in schools, theft of intellectual property, employees hacking work computers, and on and on- you can't expect any type of privacy on the job. In fact, many schools now allow students' persons, lockers, and etc. to be searched 'on the spot', with zero tolerance policies. And it's good policy to expect that while you are at work you are being recorded by cameras and your every keystroke is monitored, and that your conversations may even be recorded. And don't forget that it's increasingly common for families to install their own nanny cams in patients' rooms' whther it may be legal or not. Yes, Big Brother is here- he's been here for a long time. A workplace is private property- private property owners (as in any business )can make just about any rule they like, and they are almost always held up by the courts.

Separation of Church and State? Keep your personal life separate from your work life, in every imaginable way. And as far as Facebook, Twitter and the like I'd suggest just staying away from that stuff (every day we hear of people being fired for what they say and do online), but it seems that people just can't control their impulses.