January 22, 2009 at 6:33 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Cost of Reboots
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January 22, 2009 at 3:30 pm
It sounds like docking an hourly wage worker for the time it takes to reboot the computer would be illegal.
At one location I worked. we had a horrible network. I had to reboot my XP machine every morning because the network connections would get messed up over night. Nothing wrong with my XP Machine, just the network, had to get a fresh connection every day or I couldn't see network resources.
About once a week (sometimes more) we would have an episode of not being able to connect to the network that would require rebooting all the computers in order to re-establish network connections. We truly had a Notwork (domain server issues, router issues, you name it, we probably had it).
Not once was it suggested that the hourly wage slaves get docked pay while the computer reboots were happening. (Now, docking the pay of the guy in charge of the network for such failures might have helped our network...)
One time, our network crashed because an employee's laptop had been infected with some network malware (his laptop wasn't protected from the malware and he picked it up from plugging into a client's network). Of course, this happened in the morning (the laptop was his working computer which he took home each night, when he got in, he plugged it in and POOF! no network!) We had three to four hours of downtime while our IT guy tried to fix the network and figure out what was wrong. Since it wasn't known when the network would be back up, all the hourly employees stuck around, ready to start work again once it was up and running and we got paid for it. Lost the entire morning's production.
Docking pay like that I think would be similar to docking pay because the machinery is down for maintenance. Now, if it could be proven that the reason for the reboots was some software the employee downloaded, that MIGHT be one thing and against the computer usage policies leading to the docking of pay. But still, with some of the worms out there, unless the computer is up to date on patches and a good AV program is running, even going to a "safe" web site can get you into trouble or clicking on that picture you thought was sent by a friend.
If I was working for such an employer, I think I would be contesting the pay dock.
That's my two (or three) cents on the subject.
By the way Steve, like the shirt! (But your prior shirts are more colorful. 😀 )
-- Kit
January 25, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I had a former employer try to dock my pay for the time it took to install the software applications that I needed to do my job. When I asked my supervisor why my hours had not been approved for that time I was told that they felt it took too long. I had been given a long list of applications that were needed to do development for the project I was working on. there was no image for all of this software so it required manual installation. By the time I installed, rebooted, and applied all of the service packs & hot fixes to each of the numerous applications, it took a full 2 days. I objected and was told I would be paid if there were going to be hard feelings which for obvious reasons there would have been. Needless to say, I left after only a month of working at this company.
In my view, this is extremely disreputable. Any employer who would consider docking an employee for things such as reboots and installations is an employer who will find any reason to avoid the costs of doing business. I would recommend finding another job as fast as you can should you be in this situation.
Karen Gayda
MCP, MCSD, MCDBA
gaydaware.com
January 26, 2009 at 12:50 am
The linked article didn't have all of the information I've seen elsewhere. The docking of pay for starting and rebooting computers mostly applies to call center type jobs, where there is a system that starts an employee's time whenthey log on, then takes them off the clock when they logoff or are disconnected. This is pretty shoddy treatment of employees, especially when the computer needs a reboot in the middle of the day, and indicative of a company that doesn't particularly care about the employees.
January 26, 2009 at 1:30 am
Almost everyone in our business from the spanner turners on the shop floor to the help desk to the managers clocks in and out with a swipe card and we work true flexi time - you do extra and you can take time off in lieu. This way there aren't any problems with boot time or downtimes such as when the area power was out and extra working time is gladly given.
Now I've done it I would always ask about flexitime at any interview and tell them that it is very important to me and would influence whether I took their job. And yes I have the skills and experience to be picky.
January 26, 2009 at 2:37 am
Seems like this'll end up with long lines of finger-pointing.
In the UK, a driver is automatically at fault if they drive into the back of another road user (unless that road user got in front by failing to give way when required to do so). In situations where there's a middle car (hit from behind and shunted into the car in front), the front car will claim from the middle car's insurance and that claim is reclaimed from the rear car's insurance in addition to the direct damage caused by the rear car.
I can easily see this being a parallel scenario. Company docks money from employee for reboots, employee bills company for loss of earnings when reboot was caused by a network glitch. Company sees network glitch caused by virus, so recoups "loss of earnings" claims from employee whose PC introduced the virus. Hapless employee sues company for failing to provide effective AV protection. And so on. And on. And on.
What a farce. Finding excuses for docking money from people's wage packets only distances "the company" from "the employee". It polarises, underlines a them-and-us mentality and breaks down the very team feelings that might claw the company back out of trouble. If an employee is effective, who cares how they're using their time? If they're not effective, however much time they may be putting in, why are they still working for the company?
Semper in excretia, sumus solum profundum variat
January 26, 2009 at 3:08 am
What an absolute disgrace.
Firms that introduce these policies deserve to be the ones struggling in this economic slowdown and with polices like that to motivate its most important resource it wouldn't suprise me if they started going broke.
Gethyn Elliswww.gethynellis.com
January 26, 2009 at 4:58 am
If my employer started that, I'd be REALLY screwed. Our parent IT organization is so paranoid, we have heaps and heaps of "extras" on our laptops for security. No joke, I've timed my laptop's start-up time. depending on whether they're pushing an update (at least weekly) or not, it takes between 10 and 15 minutes to be ready.
Of course, since I'm salaried, it doesn't reflect in pay. Now hours, that's something else.
Honor Super Omnia-
Jason Miller
January 26, 2009 at 6:04 am
...and how exactly, does a company know the number of reboots? Do they have someone patrolling the cubicles to see who is rebooting? Does the worker then get a "ticket" for rebooting?
Oh, Lord help us - I can just see it now... Reboot police, and for those who excel, Reboot Detectives. Then? Oh yes, I am sure its coming along - "CSI:The Reboot Squad" starring Ben Affleck as Joe Controlaltdelete...
Boy, I thought the 60's were pretty whacked out, but at least back then people had recreational drugs as an excuse - now, seems more and more are just "naturally out of their minds".
January 26, 2009 at 6:22 am
blandry (1/26/2009)
Oh, Lord help us - I can just see it now... Reboot police, and for those who excel, Reboot Detectives. Then? Oh yes, I am sure its coming along - "CSI:The Reboot Squad" starring Ben Affleck as Joe Controlaltdelete...
For us it's "GIA: Group Internal Audit"....
Picture the reincarnation of a Salem witch hunt combined with the pleasure of a code walk through.
Honor Super Omnia-
Jason Miller
January 26, 2009 at 6:43 am
I worked in technology for four years and find it completely ridiculous that a company would try to do this to their employees. Supporting over 1000 pc/laptops/servers; you'll be surprised at the amount of problems that arise. Although in the case a end user is purposely taking actions that require a restart; screw docking pay fire them. Some users believe the equipment belongs to them. It obviously is not and altering such equipment is destruction of company property. The company needs to keep track of all operations and do software/hardware audits constantly to prove these actions; we used SMS with much success. If the company does not invest in these audits they cannot hold the end user responsible.
January 26, 2009 at 6:48 am
blandry (1/26/2009)
...and how exactly, does a company know the number of reboots? Do they have someone patrolling the cubicles to see who is rebooting? Does the worker then get a "ticket" for rebooting?
There is software that tracks the time the user is logged in. If the user reboots, the user is logged off, so they go off the clock. Pretty despicable to do that, in my mind.
January 26, 2009 at 7:05 am
I'd have to hear both sides of the story to be sure, but it sure sounds like a good way to go out of business in short order. How a company treats its employees is pretty usually reflected in how they end up treating customers, which is nearly universally parallel to how the customers treat the company. It's a feedback loop.
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January 26, 2009 at 7:11 am
GSquared (1/26/2009)
I'd have to hear both sides of the story to be sure, but it sure sounds like a good way to go out of business in short order. How a company treats its employees is pretty usually reflected in how they end up treating customers, which is nearly universally parallel to how the customers treat the company. It's a feedback loop.
From what I've read, this is mostly a call center workers issue. They seem to get the worst of it from all sides - management and customers. That's a job I'm glad I never had to take. I' vealso heard of systems where contractors were working from home, and had to have IM turned on while working. If a manager couldn't get them on IM, they didn't get paid for that time.
January 26, 2009 at 7:45 am
Next thing they will try is to eliminate our ability to participate in professional organizations and the such 🙂
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