What your employer can actually see when you're browsing the internet at work
Don't be tempted to doomscroll on your work laptop.
The fear of digital-spying bosses became even more heated when a woman in Australia made headlines in the last week or so.
After her employer tracked her work productivity whilst working from home, the lady was found guilty of missing work days, starting late as well as clocking off early.
The investigation led to her termination after 18 years at the company.
The news story has since spread concern among other workers about what their employer can actually see on their work computers.
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Depending on what you scroll through during work hours, you could leave behind a breadcrumb trail that "tracks and displays each page viewed by a visitor of a website," according to TechRound.
By using "remote employee monitoring software," employers can keep tabs (pun intended) on your online activity and browser search history.
The main culprit here is the office Wi-Fi. It doesn't matter whether you're using a company device or a personal one, if it's connected to the work network, your online activities aren't private.
Things like emails, which includes drafts and deleted emails, can be thoroughly inspected by your company, according to tech experts - so don't write or send anything you might regret later on.
So, the question is, are you safe if you're working from home - i.e. not on the company Wi-Fi?
Well, not necessarily.
TechRound explains that the risk of digital surveillance doesn't stop at the office. Taking your work laptop home, even if it is only occasionally connected to the work Wi-Fi network, your activity could still be tracked.
To be on the safe side, it's best to keep the work laptop strictly for work purposes.
Avoid putting or storing any personal or sensitive information like passwords in the device as well as logging into social accounts such as Facebook. Doing this will also mean you're less likely to be tempted to doom scroll on office time. None of your superiors need to see what you do on your weekend night-outs.
Not to mention, if you are looking to leave your job, best to keep that search on your personal phone or laptop. Moreover, it's wise to use the data that you're paying for monthly rather than risk your job security.
Otherwise, Indeed or LinkedIn job searches that are found on your work device might end up with your boss showing you the door first.