Privacy Issues on Employers Forum
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[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-21-03 AT 04:59PM (CST)[/font][p]We have had a few complaints from forum members about employees posting on Employers Forum, and just last week, an employee found the discussion board and posted a reply to her manager who had outlined on the forum a highly sticky situation involving this very employee.
The forum is free and anyone can register for it - we've kept it that way because we felt it was the best way to build a good community of HR professionals - an open, free community that belongs to YOU. We've also left it so that anyone may read the forum posts before registering so they get to know the community before posting.
Here are the cons of having the forum set up this way:
- ANYONE (including employees if they find the website) can read the posts on the forum, so if you're posting facts about a specific situation, your privacy is not protected.
- ANYONE can register for the forum and post questions (although we do monitor the posts), so we occasionally end up with employees posting on the forum.
We are willing to restrict the forum to better protect your privacy but would like your input on how to do so. Here are a few ideas for starters:
[u][b]Option #1 - VERY RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Restrict reading and posting on the the forum to only those who have bought an HR product (State Employment Law Letter, HR Quick List, HR Frontline, etc.) from us.
[b]PRO:[/b] Helps ensure that virtually all the forum members are indeed an employer or in the HR field.
[b]CON:[/b] Will fragment the HR community on the forum unless most of the active members who are registered for free decide to buy an HR product.
[u][b]Option #2 - SOMEWHAT RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Make only the subject lines of posts viewable (not the actual text of the threads) until after you register. Restrict registration to those who pick an appropriate title - like HR professional, employment law attorney, HR consultant, company owner.
[b]PRO:[/b] Makes it more difficult for employees to see what is being discussed on the forum and may deter them from registering and reading the discussions. We can try to weed out inappropriate registrants in the registration process.
[b]CON:[/b] This also becomes a deterrent for HR professionals to register if they are unable to first view the discussions in progress and feel comfortable about registering. Also, if an employee is bound and determined to register, they could get around this by figuring out the process by which we weed out inappropriate registrants and re-register using "appropriate" measures.
[u][b]Option #3 - NOT RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Leave the forum the way it is and make a more prominent warning that this IS a public forum and you should be careful about the facts you post.
I'd like to know your thoughts on the situation in light of the pros and cons listed above. Do you have any other ideas?
Christy Reeder
Website Managing Editor
[url]www.HRhero.com[/url]
The forum is free and anyone can register for it - we've kept it that way because we felt it was the best way to build a good community of HR professionals - an open, free community that belongs to YOU. We've also left it so that anyone may read the forum posts before registering so they get to know the community before posting.
Here are the cons of having the forum set up this way:
- ANYONE (including employees if they find the website) can read the posts on the forum, so if you're posting facts about a specific situation, your privacy is not protected.
- ANYONE can register for the forum and post questions (although we do monitor the posts), so we occasionally end up with employees posting on the forum.
We are willing to restrict the forum to better protect your privacy but would like your input on how to do so. Here are a few ideas for starters:
[u][b]Option #1 - VERY RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Restrict reading and posting on the the forum to only those who have bought an HR product (State Employment Law Letter, HR Quick List, HR Frontline, etc.) from us.
[b]PRO:[/b] Helps ensure that virtually all the forum members are indeed an employer or in the HR field.
[b]CON:[/b] Will fragment the HR community on the forum unless most of the active members who are registered for free decide to buy an HR product.
[u][b]Option #2 - SOMEWHAT RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Make only the subject lines of posts viewable (not the actual text of the threads) until after you register. Restrict registration to those who pick an appropriate title - like HR professional, employment law attorney, HR consultant, company owner.
[b]PRO:[/b] Makes it more difficult for employees to see what is being discussed on the forum and may deter them from registering and reading the discussions. We can try to weed out inappropriate registrants in the registration process.
[b]CON:[/b] This also becomes a deterrent for HR professionals to register if they are unable to first view the discussions in progress and feel comfortable about registering. Also, if an employee is bound and determined to register, they could get around this by figuring out the process by which we weed out inappropriate registrants and re-register using "appropriate" measures.
[u][b]Option #3 - NOT RESTRICTIVE[/b][/u]
Leave the forum the way it is and make a more prominent warning that this IS a public forum and you should be careful about the facts you post.
I'd like to know your thoughts on the situation in light of the pros and cons listed above. Do you have any other ideas?
Christy Reeder
Website Managing Editor
[url]www.HRhero.com[/url]
Comments
Although I like the restrictive aspect of making sure you have bona fide employers and HR representatives here, I wonder what it would do to the complexion of the forum. It's a rather gregarious, opinionated and seemingly experienced bunch of folks and I'd hate to see that screwed up!
As the other guy would say,
my two cents worth
Eric
I can't see any of the employees here having access to this forum, and I don't believe any of them even know that it exits and most probably if they stumbled on to it wouldn't want to take the time to read everything not knowing what it pertains to. This is just my own opinion.
Anyhow, The Forum is what it is because of the blend of all the personalities, viewpoints and levels of expertise. We have the freedom to agree, disagree or even offer a totally off-the-wall perspective.
As you so apply put it, the Forum is a community of HR professionals. Restricting the Forum will make it exclusive but that is not the objective, as I see it. We are here to offer our support, encourage our fellow comrades and sometimes add a little levity (like only Don D can do). We give advise, state our opinions, make recommendations, all the while knowing that if we have a problem or a question someone out there is listening.
I, too, vote for Option #3, to keep the Forum the way it is.
Chari
I like the open forum and would hate to see the members become reticent about posting their concerns. Is it possible to lock particular threads as an option when posting?
We also have the option of simply ignoring a post from someone using the board inappropriately.....
I would hate to see this forum change in any way, it's just too informative and enjoyable.
I vote to leave the format of the forum alone and use a disclaimer in the Lobby that cautions the discoverability of posting on the internet. Maybe even go so far as to state that the forum is for human resource professionals and employers and contains mature content!?
I am hooked on the forum and appreciate the opportunity to learn from others with more experience. I value their honesty and candor when responding; it would be a shame to see that change because of a few abusers. I don’t especially like that employees have access to this forum, but non-hr questioners are recognizable and we can choose [u]not[/u] to respond to them.
Besides, most of what my fellow employees might have occasion to read in these discussions would likely benefit their working lives and enrich their minds. I see little gained and much to lose in censuring such access.
I have posted sensitive questions on the forum, but try to disguise my question enough so that if the employee I am asking about reads the forum, they will not be certain I am asking about them. I originally assumed everyone, even employees, had access to this forum and have acted accordingly. Plus, I have found when the few employees who stumble onto this site ask questions, the answers are very enlightening.
So I vote for option 3, leaving things the way they are with extra warnings. Or, I wouldn't mind following Whatever's suggestion of an option 4 which requires special membership to read the posts. One must remember though, that even if you feel safe and post a detailed problem, the employee you are discussing may have a friend or family member in HR who is a member and will be sure to share what you tried to keep private.
Ahhh The joys of an enlightened technologically adept community. x;-)
Nothing is perfect and an employee may occasionally stumble on to The Forum. It's pretty easy to recognize employee questions. I suggest that we not respond to them. Please let's not be rude to them and tell them to get off. We just simply shouldn't respond. If employees can get help here, they will tell others and pretty soon we will be a job advice resource, which is not what we want to be.
Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]
For whatever reason, we have had an several employees registering and posting on the forum in the last couple of weeks, which means they are finding the forum somehow - maybe just a search of web and finding HRhero.com then finding the forum. Despite what some suggested above of ignoring the posts, these threads received several helpful responses before I could get to them to remove them from the board. My question is this: Do you want us to remove employee posts and notify them of a more appropriate forum to post their questions (FindLaw.com) to keep the forum from being inundated with employee posts or leave them and kindly answer or ignore the posts?
Your comments?
Christy Reeder
Website Managing Editor
[url]www.HRhero.com[/url]
Chari