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Half of workers are so anxious about being laid off they are prepared to misuse their employers’ computers and IT staff to find out if their job is next for the chop. Almost 300 out of 600 office workers said these straightened times warranted using their privileged IT access rights to snoop around their company’s central network. If the names of staff facing the chop were restricted, the workers said they would approach a “mate in the IT department” and bribe them to decode and provide the details. Overall, 46% of the staff said that workplace whispers that cuts were incoming would compel them to obtain the redundancies list, on their own or with help from IT staff. Yet rather than waiting to see their name appear, most of the respondents said they had already taken pro-active measures in the event they were booted out tomorrow. Seventy-one per cent of the staff said they would swipe proprietary details, contacts or clients, and four out of 10 workers in the UK said they had already completed such downloads. Dutch and American staff, whose employers were seen as keeping less of their information secure, emerged as being more likely to steal data for their next post. But when asked what reputable tactics they would employ to keep their jobs, the Britons showed the least enthusiasm, says the staff survey by data expert Cyber-Ark. Only around a quarter said they would be prepared to put in extra hours, compared with more than a third of Dutch workers and exactly half of American workers. Britons were also the most adverse respondents to the idea of endearing themselves to their bosses by buying the department a round of drinks at the Christmas party. Adam Bosnian, a vice-president at Cyber-Ark, said workers were feeling extra strains, as deferred promotions and layoffs notched their way up corporates’ to-do lists. “Employers have a right to expect loyalty from their workforce, however this works both ways,” he said, reflecting on the survey of 600 workers. “In these dark days, everyone is jittery especially with lay offs at the top of most corporate agendas - the instinct is to look out for number one.” Outfits that leave their data unsecured or widely grant privileged access are doing the “unthinkable” equivalent of leaving a cash wod on their workers’ desks, the firm said. It warned the potential damage disgruntled staff could cause should not be underestimated, as many are working amid fear of losing their jobs, causing them to suffer “additional stress”. Dec 2, 2008 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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