Compromising pics found on office computer -UPDATE-

[Spineshank]

Holy shit, there's some ignorant people making terrible analogies in this thread. This is NOT "kiddie porn" by any stretch of the imagination. It's teenagers, kissing, FULLY clothed. Is it appropriate in a work environment? Of course not. Don't make this out to be something it isn't though.

Well said. I didnt read the whole thread though. I swear people need to have their hand held for every life decision they make. Either turn it in or dont. Dont poll the world for help.

 

[DrunkenSano]

I don't know why people keep saying don't report it. That would be the worst thing Mosh can do if she doesn't know what it is. Because if it ends up being something illegal, like there were actual illegal deleted files or files hidden elsewhere, the blowback could hit her since she was trying to bury the evidence. Even if it was illegal, it is still against company policy and if the company wants to find a scapegoat, Mosh would take the blame for deleting the pictures and not following company policy.
Definitely report the incident, if you are unsure about finger pointing, don't name who you know did it. Just say when you got the laptop back, you found these pictures there, this way even if the big dogs are in bed with the guy, it won't look bad on you since you didn't go around naming names. Jobs aren't the same as the playground in grade school where being a tattletale is frowned upon.

 

[Elganja]

delete them and move on...

 

[Cattlegod]

Holy shit, there's some ignorant people making terrible analogies in this thread. This is NOT "kiddie porn" by any stretch of the imagination. It's teenagers, kissing, FULLY clothed. Is it appropriate in a work environment? Of course not. Don't make this out to be something it isn't though.

this guy is obviously raping babies

 

[Zargon]

Jobs aren't the same as the playground in grade school where being a tattletale is frowned upon.

since when...?

 

[DrunkenSano]

Jobs aren't the same as the playground in grade school where being a tattletale is frowned upon.

since when...?

Are you kidding? Since you can get fired from a job for not following company policy. That's why companies have a HR department.

 

[meltdown75]

what's the status of this situation? giggity giggity i got my lawn chair and popcorn

 

[edro]

Being fired is the best Christmas gift you can ask for!

Be forewarned, the holidays are the most common time for people to go postal.

 

[lxskllr]

Why do you guys all want her to delete the pics? Is it because you'd want someone to delete your kiddie porn if you got caught? Hmmmmmm.

Because it DOESN'T FUCKIN' MATTER. It's a couple of LEGAL pictures on a computer. FUCKIN' Shift-delete would have taken care of it in less time than it took to click "New Thread"...

A bunch of pansy-assed mother fuckers... You people are the reason I hate the fuckin' world. You worry about covering your own asses, and have to go run off to the boss, the web, the wife... To ask how to handle life's little problems. Do still get mommy to wipe your ass for you too? :^S

 

[moshquerade]

Because it DOESN'T FUCKIN' MATTER. It's a couple of LEGAL pictures on a computer. FUCKIN' Shift-delete would have taken care of it in less time than it took to click "New Thread"...

A bunch of pansy-assed mother fuckers... You people are the reason I hate the fuckin' world. You worry about covering your own asses, and have to go run off to the boss, the web, the wife... To ask how to handle life's little problems. Do still get mommy to wipe your ass for you too? :^S

You should really see someone about your anger issues. It's not good for your health. Hello ulcer, hypertension, heart attack, etc.


Alright, did what I felt was the right thing this morning. I went to HR, not the top guy, but another person in HR. I told her I was trying to get this laptop set up for the clinic I am in, and not having IT's help yet, I was trying to do it myself. I came upon this picture file and I clicked on it and found these pictures. I told her I didn't think I should delete them b/c I don't want to be involved in the matter in that way. She immediately called in the Head IT guy who called the clinic and told them he wanted the computer immediately. He told me I could check with them Monday for an update.

I did not accuse anyone of anything. I was not asked who I thought put the pictures on there, but I did ask the co-worker who had the computer before me if she had saw these pictures. She said she didn't see any pictures on there when she had it. The file is not hidden at all. There is only one person who had access to the computer between her and I using it as far as I know.

So, it is out of my hands. For people saying I should leave this place of employment b/c of the shaky chain of command... I love my job. It is unique and something I love to do. Leaving is really not an option for me at this point. I would not leave over a situation such as this.

 

[evident]

You should really see someone about your anger issues. It's not good for your health. Hello ulcer, hypertension, heart attack, etc.


Alright, did what I felt was the right thing this morning. I went to HR, not the top guy, but another person in HR. I told her I was trying to get this laptop set up for the clinic I am in, and not having IT's help yet, I was trying to do it myself. I came upon this picture file and I clicked on it and found these pictures. I told her I didn't think I should delete them b/c I don't want to be involved in the matter in that way. She immediately called in the Head IT guy who called the clinic and told them he wanted the computer immediately. He told me I could check with them Monday for an update.

I did not accuse anyone of anything. I was not asked who I thought put the pictures on there, but I did ask the co-worker who had the computer before me if she had saw these pictures. She said she didn't see any pictures on there when she had it. The file is not hidden at all. There is only one person who had access to the computer between her and I using it as far as I know.

So, it is out of my hands. For people saying I should leave this place of employment b/c of the shaky chain of command... I love my job. It is unique and something I love to do. Leaving is really not an option for me at this point. I would not leave over a situation such as this.

i think you did the right thing, and you've cleared yourself from being involved in this as well by not deleting the files, f-ing w/them, etc. hopefully they will take care of it and not hassle you or get you involved anymore than you would want to be.

 

[moshquerade]

i think you did the right thing, and you've cleared yourself from being involved in this as well by not deleting the files, f-ing w/them, etc. hopefully they will take care of it and not hassle you or get you involved anymore than you would want to be.

Thank you.

For those saying anything about me posting this thread and asking for advice... well, I don't really know anyone irl who has been in this situation and I figured there would be someone here out of the many people who come here to post who had been there.
I did take a lot of advice to heart here, and I appreciate it.

 

[meltdown75]

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

wonder if he gets canned

 

[NesuD]

I am debating who to tell. I thought mentioning it to the IT guy tomorrow was a good way to bring it up. He has dealt with stuff like this before.

As an "IT guy" I have to tell you that you have to do more than tell the IT guy. You need to report it to IT, HR, and your supervisor. You need to document that report thoroughly so that you are covered. Simply say "I came across these images on this computer. I felt they were inappropriate and shouldn't be there so I am reporting it to you to determine what action would be appropriate for the situation." No names. Leave the ball in their court. If I were your IT guy here is what I would do. I would acknowledge your notification and CC that to your supervisor, HR, and my supervisor. Next I would immediately image the drive in that computer to preserve the files and time stamps in question should something happen to it. At that point the issue should be well documented and with the evidence protected it will be up to HR and the higher ups to determine the next course of action if any. You will be done with it at this point and should not be involved any more from here on out.




Edit: Damn I didn't read through the entire thread. What you did should work Mosh You however need to document your actions with some kind of paper trail to cover yourself. Compose an email to your Supervisors detailing the situation and the details of who you reported it to. Be sure to CC that to the HR and IT persons involved. That should cover you.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Because it DOESN'T FUCKIN' MATTER. It's a couple of LEGAL pictures on a computer. FUCKIN' Shift-delete would have taken care of it in less time than it took to click "New Thread"...

A bunch of pansy-assed mother fuckers... You people are the reason I hate the fuckin' world. You worry about covering your own asses, and have to go run off to the boss, the web, the wife... To ask how to handle life's little problems. Do still get mommy to wipe your ass for you too? :^S

Reading this post shows just how little you know about the job world. In my company, as an employee, we are required to complete stuff like Legal & Ethical Resource Network assignments and other topics every couple of months. In fact, in my email right now, one of my emails is this: You must complete your Legal & Ethical Resource Network assignment(s) by 2009/12/31! What you call pansy-ass is actually what companies require of you not to only cover your own ass but their ass as well. You must live in some fantasy world where there are no lawsuits, where people don't get fired for inappropriate actions and whatnot. You seriously should not be advising people on how the corporate world works.

 

[meltdown75]

lol

 

[DrunkenSano]

You should really see someone about your anger issues. It's not good for your health. Hello ulcer, hypertension, heart attack, etc.


Alright, did what I felt was the right thing this morning. I went to HR, not the top guy, but another person in HR. I told her I was trying to get this laptop set up for the clinic I am in, and not having IT's help yet, I was trying to do it myself. I came upon this picture file and I clicked on it and found these pictures. I told her I didn't think I should delete them b/c I don't want to be involved in the matter in that way. She immediately called in the Head IT guy who called the clinic and told them he wanted the computer immediately. He told me I could check with them Monday for an update.

I did not accuse anyone of anything. I was not asked who I thought put the pictures on there, but I did ask the co-worker who had the computer before me if she had saw these pictures. She said she didn't see any pictures on there when she had it. The file is not hidden at all. There is only one person who had access to the computer between her and I using it as far as I know.

So, it is out of my hands. For people saying I should leave this place of employment b/c of the shaky chain of command... I love my job. It is unique and something I love to do. Leaving is really not an option for me at this point. I would not leave over a situation such as this.

What you did was exactly what you should've done. There was no need to include the name because if/when they investigate this issue, they will find out themselves. HR is there to handle these things, that is what they are hired to do and that is what the division is given a budget for. They make sure the company is protected as well as the company's employee.

I assume the company you work for is small, because a lot of large companies either have seminars or lesson modules set up by the HR that will ensure people know the legal issues, ethics, sexual harrassment, etc. stuff that are involved in the company because all of that can result in involving a company in a lawsuit they don't need. If word gets out, it is also detrimental to the company's image.

For those saying anything about me posting this thread and asking for advice... well, I don't really know anyone irl who has been in this situation and I figured there would be someone here out of the many people who come here to post who had been there.
I did take a lot of advice to heart here, and I appreciate it.

If you have any future problems or hard decisions like this and ATOT isn't a lot of help (after reading some of the responses, you shouldn't even turn to ATOT), go to your HR department and ask them. They are there to answer questions like this and they will give you the 100% correct one that your company has as policy.

 

[lxskllr]

Reading this post shows just how little you know about the job world. In my company, as an employee, we are required to complete stuff like Legal & Ethical Resource Network assignments and other topics every couple of months. In fact, in my email right now, one of my emails is this: You must complete your Legal & Ethical Resource Network assignment(s) by 2009/12/31! What you call pansy-ass is actually what companies require of you not to only cover your own ass but their ass as well. You must live in some fantasy world where there are no lawsuits, where people don't get fired for inappropriate actions and whatnot. You seriously should not be advising people on how the corporate world works.

I probably started working while you were still shitting yellow. Some things are best handled quietly, and confidentially. A MINOR policy transgression doesn't warrant a potential shit storm of getting a bunch of people involved. I wouldn't expect you to understand though. I imagine your one of those people who covers their own ass first, and does the right thing second....

 

[rasczak]

Edit:

Just read your solution and judos to you for standing up to your principles. It takes guts to turn someone in for a misdeed, but if you hadn't the repercussions could have been far greater.

Mosh,

Here at my work, we have an anonymous tip line for situations like this. Do you think you could make an anonymous call to HR regarding this?

Mosh calls HR.

HR: Human Resources, How may I assist you?
Mosh: Yes I'd like to report indecent images on a company laptop by Mr. X.
HR: Are you also an employee?
Mosh: Yes, however, I'd like to remain anonymous if I could.
HR: Ok, we'll take a look at it.

Or,


IT Dept.: IT Dept, How may I assist you?
Mosh: Yes I'd like to report indecent images on a company laptop by Mr. X.
IT Dept.: Are you also an employee?
Mosh: Yes, however, I'd like to remain anonymous if I could.
IT Dept.: Ok, we'll take a look at it.

 

[DrunkenSano]

I probably started working while you were still shitting yellow. Some things are best handled quietly, and confidentially. A MINOR policy transgression doesn't warrant a potential shit storm of getting a bunch of people involved. I wouldn't expect you to understand though. I imagine your one of those people who covers their own ass first, and does the right thing second....

This is where I call BS on you, that or you live in a small town and work at some mom and pop store. The corporate world doesn't work anything like you are talking about, sorry to inform you. With the amount of money my company has invested in their employees to know all the Ethical and Legal stuff, I can say that you are 100% wrong. My friend at Prudential has to go through the same things. You are either retired and have really out of date information or you're some teenager pretending to be some bigshot, giving people terrible advice that could lead to terrible consequences for their jobs.

 

[lxskllr]

This is where I call BS on you, that or you live in a small town and work at some mom and pop store. The corporate world doesn't work anything like you are talking about, sorry to inform you.

Tell me then, how does the corporate world work. Where's this great mind reading technology I apparently overlooked? Where's the full time forensics lab that scans every HD weekly looking for policy violations? No wonder the economy's gone to shit with that kind of expenditure...

 

[NesuD]

I probably started working while you were still shitting yellow. Some things are best handled quietly, and confidentially. A MINOR policy transgression doesn't warrant a potential shit storm of getting a bunch of people involved. I wouldn't expect you to understand though. I imagine your one of those people who covers their own ass first, and does the right thing second....

Well I can pretty much guarantee that you weren't working when I was as you say "shitting yellow" and you are dead wrong. Remind me to never hire you to work in my IT dept. Stuff like this can be incredibly serious and have potential civil and criminal liabilities. As IT professionals we have ethical and legal obligations to use best practices in how we handle these things. sweeping it under the rug is NOT a best practice. Reporting it to the controlling authority and preserving the data in question in a forensically responsible manner is what we are required to do and reporting it to us is what Mosh is required to do. If you have ever worked for a company embroiled in litigation you would understand the implications of preserving data that will stand up to forensic examination and keeping management informed about potential legal liabilities arising from data on company computers. I just spent the last two years dealing with this kind of crap and it wasn't fun. Sweeping it under the rug could very well have cost me my job and who knows what else.

 

[nerp]

I probably started working while you were still shitting yellow. Some things are best handled quietly, and confidentially. A MINOR policy transgression doesn't warrant a potential shit storm of getting a bunch of people involved. I wouldn't expect you to understand though. I imagine your one of those people who covers their own ass first, and does the right thing second....

Sounds like you got screwed over "a minor policy tansgression" once and feel rage at the world because of it. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but people tend to wear their private lives on their public opinions.

 

[edro]

I probably started working while you were still shitting yellow. Some things are best handled quietly, and confidentially. A MINOR policy transgression doesn't warrant a potential shit storm of getting a bunch of people involved. I wouldn't expect you to understand though. I imagine your one of those people who covers their own ass first, and does the right thing second....

I agree!

In this modern sissy, selfish, politically correct, legal world, paper work and protocol are there just to protect from multimillion dollar lawsuits.

95% of company ethics policies are broken daily.

I wish the world would use more common sense and less protocol.

 

[lxskllr]

Sounds like you got screwed over "a minor policy tansgression" once and feel rage at the world because of it. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but people tend to wear their private lives on their public opinions.

I've worked for 4 companies my whole life, and that includes delivering newspapers when I was 14. I left on good terms with every one of them....