Camera Phones in the Workplace
Dear Victoria,
As many of you are aware there is a growing concern about camera phones and potential for abuse around privacy and security issues.
The paradox here is, that how would you know if someone took a picture of one of your employees or a sensitive piece of intellectual property and posted it to the Internet or emailed out?
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Though the issues of camera phones in the workplace is an interesting area to watch, and new aspects of this phenomenon are appearing every day, banning camera phones or writing new policies may be a bit daunting.
The fact is today, bans are nearly unenforaceble, combined with the fact that there are few actual cases of abuse.
Here are some things to concern around the issue of camera phones in the workplace:
* The market for camera phones have increased dramatically.
* It is estimated that four out of five cell phones have built in camera phones.
* Allowing camera phones in the workplace may lead to security or privacy concerns, or forms of
harassment and abuse.
* There is also a risk of propiertary information being compromised.
* If images are taken they can be easily deleted without leaving a trace that they were there, unlike a
computer.
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What can employers do to address these concerns and limit there exposure? Since simple bans are currently not enforceable consulting with a professional like McCabe Consultants can help organizations create an effective policy and procedure to protect workers, intellectual property, and proprietary data.
Call us today at (818) 704 - 7838 to learn how.
Warm Regards,
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The Team at McCabe Consultants
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Goes into Effect May 21, 2008
On May 21, 2008 President Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), protecting Americans against discrimination based on their genetic information when it comes to health insurance coverage and employment. The Act prohibits insurers from delying health insurance or setting rates based on genetic factors, and similarly, forbids employers from using such information when making employment decisions.
So what does this mean for employers? The new law means employers may not use genetic informaion and/or knowledge of an employee's predisposition to certain illnesses in employment decisions such as hiring, firing, or promotions. Employers must keep genetic information about their employees in a separate confidential employee file.GINA also has a health insurance component which makes it illegal for health insureres to raise premiums or deny coverage based on genetic information. Chiefly, this provision affects employers who self-insure.
Medical Certifications As a condition of employment, many employers require employees to submit to a medical examination. The health records obtained from the medical examinations often contain genetic information, which is now barred from disclosure under GINA. To minimize your liability, employers may request medical records to be re-written to ask that health care providers only release ono-genetic health information.
Update your Policies on EEO and Nondiscrimintation What can employers do to address these concerns and limit their exposure? Since simple bans are currently not enforceable consulting with a professional like McCabe Consultants can help organizations create an effective policy and procedure to protect workers, intellectual property, and proprietary data. Call us today at (818) 704 - 7838 to learn how.
Warm Regards,
The Team at McCabe Consultants
How is the High Price of Gas Affecting Your Workplace
Dear Victoria,
The price of gas has tripled over the past three years hovering around $3.50 per gallon nationally. Research was conducted earlier this year on how increased gas prices have affected personal finances and by extension behavior at work.
More than 300 employees across a wide range were polled to try to assess the effects that higher gas prices were having on the workplace. As a society, the high price of gas has been casually discussed but no one has really been able to get a handle on how it trickles down to various aspects of life. We also have not been able to determine what role employers could play in possibly helping employees manage the stress that has started to come with spiriling gas prices.
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Findings from the study indicated that most people have had to make drastic changes in the way they spend money. The employees polled, selected from a list of important changes indicating the frequency of the change, for example, 60 percent of the respondents have to rethink the way they spend money, 44 percent are worried about how they are going to make ends meet, 43 percent have cut back on recreational activities, 41 percent have paid off debt more slowly, and 25 percent have gone back to necessities.
More surprising were the indicators of how changes to personal finances affected behavior at work. Changes in personal finances were associated with lower levels of job performance, less enthusiasm, less willingness to help others, fewer positive feelings about the organizations, higher levels of depression, and an increased sensitivity to minor irritants at work.
The stress caused by increased gas prices may be increased by employers' failure to recognize the problem or not knowing what options they may have. The vast majority of employers (92 percent) indicated that their company failed to acknowledge the issue, while other employers felt they should do something but didn't know what. When employees were asked for suggestions, many indicated that their company should offer some financial support. On average, employees felt a subsidy of $30 dollars per week would help reduce much of the stress caused by high gas prices.
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Interestingly, more than one third of employees indicated that they would change jobs with comparable pay and responsibilty if some form of assistance were offered. Certainly, there are other ways a company can help. Creating a Flex Time Policy or creating a Telecommuting Program for employees often helps reduce employee stress, improve morale and retention of employees.
Need help creating such programs, call McCabe Consultants at (818) 704 - 7838 today.
Warm Regards,
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The Team at McCabe Consultants
