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Latest News

Worker sacked after revealing boss’ computer game habit

by Personnel Today 1 Jul 2004
by Personnel Today 1 Jul 2004

A
man was sacked after installing software on his manager’s computer that
revealed it was used for little more than playing games on a daily basis,
according to a local newspaper. The boss, meanwhile, was let off with a written
warning.

Vernon
Blake, an employee at the US Alabama Department of Transport, was given his
marching orders even though the ‘spyware’ he installed proved that his boss
spent an average of 70 per cent of his time playing Solitaire.

In
contrast, Blake’s manager, George Dobbs, was given a written warning that read:
"While your work ethic and your production are above reproach,
management-level personnel must be mindful not to compromise their ability to
manage subordinates."

‘Spyware’
gives the person who installs it a web-based interface that displays summaries
of information that was logged on the computer on which the software is
installed, according to software firm Symantec.

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Experts
said the information Blake had access to could easily have been of a sensitive
nature. The access to it may not only have breached company rules, but
will  probably also have broken the law.

By Daniel Thomas

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

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