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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:The Digital way of working
Moderator:QUARK::LIONELON
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5321
Total number of notes:139771

541.0. "Policy Questions ?? " by DCC::LANE (Work ? Not now, I'm reading Notes.) Thu May 19 1988 06:53

    A keyword and title search did not yield a suitable place for this
    question; so I started another base note. Excuse me, if this
    should have been a reply to a pervious base note. 8^)
    
    I have a question regarding company policy about giving out
    employees names and benefits information to external people. 8^| 

    Consider this situation:  An employee solicits the services of a
    investment company.  The investment company then ask the employee
    if other people in his or her department or in Digital as a whole,
    might be interested in the investment services.  The employee then
    proceeds to supply other Digital employee names.  Is this a
    violation of Digital company policy ?  I would think yes, after
    all, our company telephone books are marked for Internal Use Only. 
    
    Consider also:  The same investment company claims that to do real
    financial planning for the employee, whom solicited the service;
    they need information about Digital benefits. Isn't company
    benefit information also consider company confidential ? 
    
    Comments ?
    
    David
    aus M�nchen
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
541.1Do you want a *real answer* or *our opinions*?DR::BLINNBill & Opus in '88 (Penguin Lust!)Thu May 19 1988 13:2530
        Although your situation in Europe in general and in Germany in
        particular may be governed by local laws and DEC policies that are
        different from those in the U.S., I don't think that what you've
        described would be a clear-cut violation of U.S. Personnel Policy. 
        
        In the first case, regarding giving out names, I believe that if
        the person gave out the complete phone book, that would be a clear
        violation, but providing a *few* names of people he or she thought
        would *benefi*t from the service offered is probably OK. Note,
        however, that giving out the names with the expectation that the
        people would be *harassed* by sales persons from the financial (or
        other) service is clearly not the right thing to do. Obviously,
        it's a question of intent. 
        
        In the second case, if the person gave out *their own personal*
        benefits information, not that of anyone else, nor a copy of
        general benefits guidelines (if they are labelled as Digital
        Internal Use Only or whatever), then I don't see where there
        should be a problem.  (After all, it's your benefits information,
        and if you benefit by sharing it with someone else, so be it.) 
        
        Again, as I indicated, the rules in Europe may be different, and
        all I've described is my interpretation of the rules as they stand
        here in the U.S.  If you want a definite answer, take the question
        to your local Personnel people.  If you've got a complaint about
        the behavior of a particular employee, it would be wise to make
        sure you've discussed it with him or her first BEFORE dragging
        your mutual management and your Personnel people into it. 
        
        Tom
541.2I just want an answer - any answer !! 8^)DCC::LANEWork ? Not now, I'm reading Notes.Tue May 24 1988 13:5232
    Regarding Last Reply by DR::BLINN 
    
    Thanks for the reply, and I generally agree with your common sense
    answer.  I would, however, like to make one point.  Regarding:
    
>    In the second case, if the person gave out *their own personal*
>    benefits information, not that of anyone else, nor a copy of
>    general benefits guidelines (if they are labelled as Digital
>    Internal Use Only or whatever), then I don't see where there
>    should be a problem.  (After all, it's your benefits information,
>    and if you benefit by sharing it with someone else, so be it.) 

    Agreed !! But the problem is, for International Employees, the
    benefit packages all look the same (i.e., cost of living, car
    policy, housing allowance and so on, are the same for everyone in
    the same country).  Further, the employee was sharing *his or her
    personal* benefits information by providing a Digital Benefits
    booklet ! This seems wrong ! 

>    If you want a definite answer, take the question to your local
>    Personnel people.  If you've got a complaint about the behavior of
>    a particular employee, it would be wise to make sure you've
>    discussed it with him or her first BEFORE dragging your mutual
>    management and your Personnel people into it. 

    Absolutely !  This is the Digital way, only elevate the problem
    when you can not solve it with the party involved.  Don't worry, I
    was not going to go directly to personnel.  I was mostly curious,
    more than anything else.  Thanks again for your opinion. 
    
    David
    aus M�nchen