Bill targets pornography viewing on agency computers

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Federal workers, your porn watching days while in the job maybe nearing an end...

You'd better call your legislator!

Federal News Radio

 

[CountryBoy19]

Wow, I was going to say, "I'm pretty sure that's already against agency policy for pretty much all federal agencies"

But apparently I would have been wrong; I guess the EPA still allows such a thing...

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If there wasn't a problem, there wouldn't be a law.

 

[hoosierdoc]

If there wasn't a problem, there wouldn't be a law.

Wait, I thought laws stopped problems. Are you saying lack of laws causes them?

 

[hornadylnl]

Wait, I thought laws stopped problems. Are you saying lack of laws causes them?

"What is not forbidden by The State is mandatory."

.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Mandatory pr0n? And you get paid? Where do I sign up for this?

 

[MCgrease08]

[video=youtube_share;u4vX7u73tvQ]http://youtu.be/u4vX7u73tvQ[/video]

Mods: the video is not actually porn, just a song about it. And yes, it's clean.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

 

[Alamo]

Random thoughts:

- Since there are agency rules against screwing off at work, and I would bet porn is specifically called out, I wonder at the necessity for law that says the same thing. On the other hand, regulations have clearly run amok, so maybe it is better to reset the prohibition into actual statute. Unfortunately we'll probably get the worst of both worlds.

- It's probably the wrong subject for the law. The law should focus on making civil service far more accountable. Firing a civilian employee for gross misconduct and/or substandard performance is a monumental task, and most supervisors recognize the futility of it -- they get more done if they just park the employee where he will do least harm and the supervisor focuses on tasks he can get done. It is a natural and rational strategy in the short term, but it is corrosive in the long run. I have been directly involved in the process of firing two federal employees, and it was an agonizing process. In neither case was I officially successful, altho both employees did ultimately leave government service -- at a price.

- And finally, seeing as it is the EPA, having all their employees watching porn at their desks for eight hours per day is probably the least damaging thing we can have them do...

 

[HoughMade]

Maybe I'm too simple.

If you have a non-porn policy and the ability to monitor internet usage....why aren't the abusers being fired? No federal law necessary.

It's so crazy, it might just work.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

What is wrong with the EPA? Viewing porn on a DoD computer will get you fired or disciplined ASAP. It would be stupid to knowingly open up the Federal network to all the viruses and cyber threats from Russia and China that are embedded in those sites. If a Federal employee was stupid enough to cruise porn on a government computer, they deserve to be fired.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If you have a non-porn policy and the ability to monitor internet usage....why aren't the abusers being fired? No federal law necessary.

It's so crazy, it might just work.

The anarchists are getting to you!

 

[HoughMade]

The anarchists are getting to you!

Perhaps....

....but in reference to my personal employment situations, I'll just paraphrase the great Mel Brooks: "It's good to be [one of] the king."

(keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your systems administrator afraid of unemployment)

 

[cobber]

When I worked for a State gov long, long ago our IT guy was viewing and disseminating () porn at work. He was separated from the agency without resort to a new law...

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Maybe I'm too simple.

If you have a non-porn policy and the ability to monitor internet usage....why aren't the abusers being fired? No federal law necessary.

It's so crazy, it might just work.

C'mon. You expect someone to be able to differentiate porn sites and regular work related sites just off internet access records?

So your secretary is cruising around at penisland.net and you get all bent out of shape? She's just buying pens.
So Tina in accounting is checking out molestationnursery.com and you don't want her around your kids any longer? She's just looking for advice on keeping her plants from Australia alive.
So Frank is checking out gotahoenorth.com and you're worried he's picking up Eskimo escorts? He's just planning his vacation in Tahoe.

(all found googling "web sites that sound dirty but really aren't" There are plenty more good ones...)

 

[Alamo]

Maybe I'm too simple.

If you have a non-porn policy and the ability to monitor internet usage....why aren't the abusers being fired? No federal law necessary.

It's so crazy, it might just work.

Because as I alluded to above...you can't "just fire" a federal civil servant. You can start with the Douglas Factors, of which you must document each and every one as to why firing, as opposed to counseling reprimanding, retraining, etc etc is the appropriate response (and don't forget to document that the employee explicitly knew that viewing porn was a no-no). As a supervisor you can propose firing the employee, but the determination must be made by your supervisor, or another one above him. The departmental labor lawyer must vet your package and advise your supervisor and/or the department head as to whether it has any chance of getting past the Merit Systems Protection Board. This will probably take weeks, if not months. The employee will of course get a lawyer and appeal the decision to the MSPB (another few weeks or months), which will require the departmental lawyer to go argue the case, and in all likelihood, lose. In the meantime, you will not be able to levy any lesser punishment for any offense on that employee, as long as the threat of dismissal is in the works. So he or she can pretty much do whatever he wants during those months of waiting, and you will not be able to do an official thing about it until the dismissal is upheld or denied. The smartest thing you can do in the meantime is to find a way for the employees job to be eliminated in some kind of reorganization, so that if (when) you lose at the MSPB, the employee has to be transferred to someone who does have a similar position open. The receiving organization will, of course, hate your guts, but life's tough in the federal service.

At least this is how it worked in the USAF back in the 90s. I doubt it is any better now or in any other federal entity.

Oh, and don't violate the employee's privacy while spying on his computer.

Now if you can get a hot button issue, if you can show it was child porn, or the employee was somehow discriminating against some favored group, something like that, you can make the process work a little faster.

 

[gregkl]

This is funny! I remember a conversation when guys were telling one another what to retrieve and where to go in their home in case something happened to them. I'll bet in these times, the internet browser history could be popular.

 

[Bennettjh]

That's good!

 

[hornadylnl]

Because as I alluded to above...you can't "just fire" a federal civil servant. You can start with the Douglas Factors, of which you must document each and every one as to why firing, as opposed to counseling reprimanding, retraining, etc etc is the appropriate response (and don't forget to document that the employee explicitly knew that viewing porn was a no-no). As a supervisor you can propose firing the employee, but the determination must be made by your supervisor, or another one above him. The departmental labor lawyer must vet your package and advise your supervisor and/or the department head as to whether it has any chance of getting past the Merit Systems Protection Board. This will probably take weeks, if not months. The employee will of course get a lawyer and appeal the decision to the MSPB (another few weeks or months), which will require the departmental lawyer to go argue the case, and in all likelihood, lose. In the meantime, you will not be able to levy any lesser punishment for any offense on that employee, as long as the threat of dismissal is in the works. So he or she can pretty much do whatever he wants during those months of waiting, and you will not be able to do an official thing about it until the dismissal is upheld or denied. The smartest thing you can do in the meantime is to find a way for the employees job to be eliminated in some kind of reorganization, so that if (when) you lose at the MSPB, the employee has to be transferred to someone who does have a similar position open. The receiving organization will, of course, hate your guts, but life's tough in the federal service.

At least this is how it worked in the USAF back in the 90s. I doubt it is any better now or in any other federal entity.

Oh, and don't violate the employee's privacy while spying on his computer.

Now if you can get a hot button issue, if you can show it was child porn, or the employee was somehow discriminating against some favored group, something like that, you can make the process work a little faster.

If it's good for the police...

 

[Nodonutz]

Who's Bill?