Workplace+Porn="bye bye"

I was in a meeting with my boss and a co-worker the other day, when female co-worker from the Finance department knocked on the door. She was upset because there was computer in department with, as she reported it, "half-naked women on it."

I was sent over to investigate. Sure enoungh, I found a rotating-image screensaver featuring what I would characterize as "soft-porn." True, there were "half-naked women" but what I saw were just backs and butts.

My initial impulse was to find the person and warn him that he was in violation of a couple of company policies, and de-install the screensaver, but I was overridden by my boss. Instead, the matter was referred to HR.

It turned out that the screensaver had been installed by a temporary employee that hadn't been working at the company for more than a week or two. In addition to the screensaver, a prominent desktop image of the same type had been installed as well. It turned out that the female employee that first reported the incident, was not the first person to either see the pictures or to report them. Another female employee that works in the same area was the first to notice the images (and take exception to them), and in fact she had already reported the matter to the HR department.

I found out the next day that the temp was summarily "let go."

So, lessons? Porn, in any form, is becoming less and less acceptable in workplace environments. Indeed, any behavior that can be considered offensive to others is being slowly and steadily curtailed by policy. For instance, starting at the beginning of next year, smoking will not be allowed on any of my employer's U.S. properties. So in such an atmosphere, what type of person considers it ok to install prurient images on a company computer? Evidentally, one who is not destined to remain employed for long.