SD asked me why I updated my resume on Indeed?!

[Tessa120]

Just think about it for a second. You do some mundane thing online like the OP did. Short time later, while on the clock you get called into your boss' office where you are spoken with about the online activity. Would you not find it very disconcerning that your work is watching you so close all the time that they know about your digital habits within a few days? That it's not a "oh hey, we saw this" and you had done it months before, but within days? Do you not think it's creepy for that to happen? And that (unless you are on the NSA watch list) nothing you do should be so big of a problem that your boss should be calling you into the office about it? And the fun one, that when people are leaving, it's considered justified to find out why they left by calling the police and asking for them to go check on the "friend" because there's "worry"?

No one should be watched so carefully by their boss for just a retail job. That it's being defended is kinda scary. When the retail worker doesn't play ball, the extreme measures people justify to make contact is scary.

You really think it's cool to investigate Joe Blow who is scheduled for 25 hours a week but has keys to the electronics lockup, or Jane Dee who has the title of TL but no meaningful upward advancement but does have email and report access, and then alert the SD that Joe or Jane put their resume online because you are watching their online activity that closely, fine. But I would love to hear the justification for all the online watching. And I hope you have enough of a sense of boundaries crossed that you feel the need to shower the ethical ick off after work.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Creepy is as creepy does, and no one should be made to feel like this at work...

 

[happygoth]

@Tessa120 , I really think the situation that @JAShands described warranted the action taken. No one said that every TM who ghosts should be investigated and the police should be called to track them down. That would be completely beyond the pale. But it sounds to me like they were genuinely concerned about this person's well-being, and it was a unique situation.

And yes, if my SD called me into their office and told me that they had noticed I did this or that online, sure, it would take me by surprise. But I would want to know their motivation - are they worried that I might quit? If that is the case, it puts me in a position of power - what are you going to do to keep me?

 

[JAShands]

That is correct @happygoth. When a situation just isn’t right steps have to be taken. Almost every time it will just be a phone call; the situation I mentioned was an exceptional case.

FWIW I have never called the police to perform any kind of check on someone. The TM was never working at my store nor transferring to my store. But I do have a monthly night out with the other HREs in the area. What nobody realizes is how secluded working in HR can be and that we’re all human and need to talk and vent and bounce things off other people too sometimes. Once in a while an exceptional story is shared and hits close to home. We’re not a big city, we’re cozy and will help the other stores without hesitation if they’re in need of help. I have personally helped at all of them and have met so many of their TMs and worked alongside them for hours.

 

[happygoth]

HR takes a lot of hits here, but I have great respect for the position, if not always the person occupying it. To me HR is the backbone of the store. A good HRTL/TM can make life so much easier for leadership and regular TMs.

There are bad apples, to be sure. But I have found that way more often than not, those who have a problem with HR doing their job are the ones at fault. Too many folks take advantage of caring leaders and then get upset when someone dares hold them accountable for their actions.

 

[Tessa120]

I agree that a good HR is worth their weight in chocolate. But when outside the store a good HR should respect the no trespassing sign. Dont stalk them online, dont stalk them in real life (phone calls not directly related to work, asking or talking at work about which place someone saw them), and for god's sake when they quit, even when they ghost, respect that they quit for a reason they don't want to share and don't attempt to contact.

 

[happygoth]

I agree that a good HR is worth their weight in chocolate. But when outside the store a good HR should respect the no trespassing sign. Dont stalk them online, dont stalk them in real life (phone calls not directly related to work, asking or talking at work about which place someone saw them), and for god's sake when they quit, even when they ghost, respect that they quit for a reason they don't want to share and don't attempt to contact.

If they let the store know that they quit, I would absolutely agree. If they just do not show up for work, HR has the right to at least call them and find out if they intend on returning. HR calls people who NC/NS or are late for work all the time, it's pretty much part of the job. The MIA employee still works for the company until they are termed, and that would certainly be a work-related phone call. Honestly, the least a decent human being can do is let their place of business know that they do not intend to show up anymore.

Your situation sounds different, since you had already quit and were just trying to serve out your last couple of weeks. As an employer, if an employee that had already quit stopped showing up I would just assume that was that. Happened a few times at my old job and we all just shrugged and moved on.

 

[redandkhaki]

This happened to me about 5 years ago. My ETL approached me in cafe as I was working to ask me and was very rude about it. I made something up but I've been wary using Indeed since then.
I asked her how she knew and she said it's the HRBPs job to make sure they retain TLs.

 

[Tessa120]

Honestly, the least a decent human being can do is let their place of business know that they do not intend to show up anymore.

Depends on the situation.

If it's simply a variation of the new-age tendency to break up without actually breaking up, then yeah, they should remember their manners.

If there's something or someone the person is actively avoiding at work for good or decent reason, then it's understandable that after a point a person may decide the best way to avoid the situation/person is by avoiding the workplace, and those people shouldn't be pushed into explaining themselves as work has clearly thoroughly botched attempts to fix things. (And no, that doesn't mean the ex-employee should sacrifice self to assist work in fixing problems for other employees. That means work should respect they've clearly had enough and not call.)

If there's something going on within the person's mind, body and/or life that makes work impossible, then dealing with workplace matters like contacting for purposes of quitting may also be impossible if the person's health or life is impaired enough. (If I'm in the hospital getting patched up from a car accident or severe allergic reaction or complete psychotic breakdown and my work calls, the quantity and variety of four letter words that I would express over the absolute stupidity of them calling to tell me to come to work will get me fast tracked to fired for insubordination before the sun sets. Just let a person rest up and heal.)

And before the obvious objection comes out, assume there's a good reason for the silence. Ghosts won't pick up the phone, the rest shouldn't be disturbed at such a time.

 

[buliSBI]

In case of corporate internal investigations, the company has the right to investigate employees within the confines of the investigation .

In case of the OP situation, its not illegal because its an open forum. But its creepy.

BUT I do want to pose a question to the OP.

Have you friended any of your co-workers or management on any social media or professional sites; ex. LinkedIn?

I make it a personal rule to never friend any co-worker or supervisor until after we stop working together.

 

[happygoth]

I'm not on any social media anymore so I don't have to even think about that, but I have also avoided becoming friends with anyone at work. There are a couple of people I like enough where I could see myself hanging out with them after work, but really, it's better to not get too involved. I'm honestly not much of a friend person anyway so it works out, lol.

 

[Tessa120]

An old workplace, everyone was on each others' FB friends list. I made the mistake of letting my husband set up my FB account and my boss' boss ended up on my friends list, along with my boss and other managers. Whenever I played hooky I didn't even peek at the site, in case it logged me as on. Other people were more stupid. Usually sales staff, even though it was well known the sales manager had busted several people through FB. During one bad period I posted on FB (yeah, I was idiotic too) that I wanted to cut because I felt nothing at all and by cutting I would feel something; that got me pulled aside when i showed up at work.

Yeah, friending each other on social media just breeds workplace drama.

 

[CrimsonLiz]

In case of corporate internal investigations, the company has the right to investigate employees within the confines of the investigation .

In case of the OP situation, its not illegal because its an open forum. But its creepy.

BUT I do want to pose a question to the OP.

Have you friended any of your co-workers or management on any social media or professional sites; ex. LinkedIn?

I make it a personal rule to never friend any co-worker or supervisor until after we stop working together.

No, I have not. And WILL not now.

I have some peer leaders on Facebook, but I am one of those creeps who doesn't post much and only like to look at what's going on in others' lives. I absolutely will not befriend anyone on social media who works at my store and is NOT a peer leader. To add to this, I never voiced this change to my Indeed profile or any inkling that I wanted to quit to anyone beforehand, so it was all done by my SD or corporate HR.