Workplace Privacy 101

Don’t Mix Personal and Work Devices

If you have both a personal laptop and a work-provided laptop or phone, you should do your best to only use the device you’ve been issued for work-related matters. It can be tempting, but resist!

It can place your employer at risk if you lose your personal phone or laptop and have any sensitive work-related material on it. It can also be a huge risk to your personal privacy. Whether you are creeping your ex on Instagram or checking your bank account to see if your direct deposit has landed, you’re opening up your personal information to your employer. And even if you trust your employer, the security on your workplace’s devices may not be as secure as your own.  

Take Passwords Seriously

Still using that one password for everything? Yeah, it’s time to stop. We know it’s annoying, but that password is the only thing protecting your data. It’s well worth your time to take your passwords seriously and to set them up in a way that actually protects your information – meaning using the same password you’ve had since the seventh grade is a bad idea.

Never use a personal password for a work-related website or device. Be sure to change the password semi-regularly. And don’t autosave passwords to browsers if you can help it. It’s tedious, but worth it. There’s also plenty of ways to come up with strong passwords that you can also remember. If you’re not sure about how to do that, there are many helpful tips here.

Watch out for Scams

Not every scam is as obvious as the email from a Nigerian Prince who wants to give you $1 million. Some of them can be tricky. Scammers have been known to scrape information from social media to impersonate your colleagues or employers to try to get personal information from you or the company. If the request seems odd or totally out of the ordinary, don’t respond or click any links. 

Log Out Regularly

Let’s be real, can you even remember the last time you logged out of your work computer?  Probably not, but it’s a good habit to get into. Just think about all the information someone could access if they opened your laptop or sat down at your computer when it was unlocked. If you’re a password autosaver, the risk is doubled. 

Beware of Organizations Collecting Your Information

Of course, your place of work has your personal information on file. It’s how they’re able to pay you. But if there’s a union in your workplace, or even a union trying to organize your workplace, your employer is often obligated to give them your personal information as well. That means sharing your email, address, and cell phone number – all without asking you for your permission first.

You may not be able to stop this information from being shared, but you should be aware of it.