Employers are mining the data their workers generate • Hacker News Board

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#21

Post by JoshTriplett » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:37 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #14

People keep forgetting that equipment and subscriptions are your employers property and data, not yours. They have the right to access anything they pay for without telling you. It's important to remain aware of this any time you do anything for work. Back before we had computers, there was nothing stopping a company from opening every memo that came through the mail room and recording every phone conversation and op…

> even including recording audio in the workplace

There are some protections against recording people without their knowledge, even if you're in a workplace.

> So maybe it's time for us to look for some legal protections for worker privacy?

And documenting the (limited) protections that already exist.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#22

Post by ziddoap » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:38 PM UTC

dudul wrote: post #19

oh_hello wrote: post #7

Is anyone familiar with what data Slack makes available to management? Can they see a nice breakdown of when I was online?

I don't have an answer, but it always surprised me what people would say either in Direct Messages or in private channel. This is a corporate slack, I'm pretty sure management can access all conversations, even in DM or private channels.

I know, at least at our tier, I cannot access private messages.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#23

Post by noarchy » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:38 PM UTC

Moru wrote: post #15

seneca wrote: post #5

The idea that McKesson does this, along with their completely tone deaf idea of adding open offices to increase retention, points to a bigger issue: a complete lack of understanding of people. These people running these companies are utterly detached from the reality that their work force lives day to day, such that they think implementing one of the most universally hated office schemes and mass surveillance are way…

The only reason a company switches to open offices is to save money, just like the removing of free sodas. The will claim any other reason officially though.

"Imagine the extra collaboration we'll be able to have!"

Indeed, and that's precisely what most probably didn't need or want.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#24

Post by tempsy » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:41 PM UTC

there’s something uniquely soul crushing about working in a corporate environment. After 6 years of it I think I’ve really had enough. I don’t think we as humans were programmed to live this way.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#25

Post by goatinaboat » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:41 PM UTC

seneca wrote: post #5

The idea that McKesson does this, along with their completely tone deaf idea of adding open offices to increase retention, points to a bigger issue: a complete lack of understanding of people. These people running these companies are utterly detached from the reality that their work force lives day to day, such that they think implementing one of the most universally hated office schemes and mass surveillance are way…

> a complete lack of understanding of people

People? Human resources.

You know, things you use up and discard, like any resource.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#26

Post by ziddoap » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:42 PM UTC

goatinaboat wrote: post #25

seneca wrote: post #5

The idea that McKesson does this, along with their completely tone deaf idea of adding open offices to increase retention, points to a bigger issue: a complete lack of understanding of people. These people running these companies are utterly detached from the reality that their work force lives day to day, such that they think implementing one of the most universally hated office schemes and mass surveillance are way…

> a complete lack of understanding of people People? Human resources . You know, things you use up and discard, like any resource.

"Human People Department" doesn't sound quite as pithy.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#27

Post by commandlinefan » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:45 PM UTC

BillSaysThis wrote: post #2

"McKesson has not yet determined what changes it will make as a result of the findings, but has considered adopting a more open office plan to encourage more discussion between employees." Sure, that's going to help with retention.

It will, actually. It works like this: make the working environment so miserable that the only people who will stay are people who absolutely don’t have any other options and will never speak up or organize against abuse. Bingo, you have a group of people who will never go anywhere!

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#28

Post by dhruvmittal » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:45 PM UTC

ziddoap wrote: post #8

seneca wrote: post #5

The idea that McKesson does this, along with their completely tone deaf idea of adding open offices to increase retention, points to a bigger issue: a complete lack of understanding of people. These people running these companies are utterly detached from the reality that their work force lives day to day, such that they think implementing one of the most universally hated office schemes and mass surveillance are way…

This is what I really am having trouble understanding. How disconnected from reality do you need to be to think surveillance and converting to an open office is going to somehow increase retention of employees?

A surprising number of people in management seem to think "Oh, that'll make us very silicon valley and signal how cool & hip we are!"

And a surprising number of people who haven't had to work in open offices before think "Oh, that'll be cool: social, innovative, and collaborative!"

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#29

Post by Topgamer7 » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:47 PM UTC

mfoy_ wrote: post #10

_o-O-o_ wrote: post #6

I know this is a cheap potshot, but who has a keyboard setup like that? https://images.wsj.net/im-90409?width=1260&size=0.6666666666... And the caption: Diana Hubbard, working from her home office in Texas, says she does not communicate about her private life on work devices at all. PHOTO: JONATHAN ZIZZO FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Someone who hasn't heard of USB Switches.

Last time I tried a usb switch it would flip out and cause issues (it was doing the monitors too, and it was cheap). I forget what the specific use case was, but at my house we definitely had 2 keyboards on top of each other. It was a temporary set up of two computers at the same station, so didn't warrant looking into a better switch. If I ran that setup daily in the long run, I probably would have.

Re: Employers are mining the data their workers generate

#30

Post by ereyes01 » Fri, Jul 19, 2019, 6:48 PM UTC

ziddoap wrote: post #22

dudul wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have an answer, but it always surprised me what people would say either in Direct Messages or in private channel. This is a corporate slack, I'm pretty sure management can access all conversations, even in DM or private channels.

I know, at least at our tier, I cannot access private messages.

Even if weren't possible now, it may be possible in the future because Slack (in practice) owns and controls that data without any oversight from you. Anything you say might be deleted after a while, or might be held indefinitely.