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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    1

    Unhappy Somebody Has Been Viewing Pornography on a Shared Work Computer

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Iowa
    I'm an employee to a small, locally owned business. I work as a graphic designer. Upon being hired earlier this year, I was given my own work space with a computer owned by the company to use. After being there for a few months, I was searching for an image on the computer for an ad. (The computer has many files we are free to search for to use. It's specifically used for creating ads and storing pictures and the like.) I happened to stumble across some nude images of my boss, which appeared to be taken himself. I was pretty disgusted and left early that day.
    Skip ahead a few more months, I began typing in the URL of a website in a web browser (non-pornographic. I was looking for royalty-free images.) and links to several pornographic websites popped up in the search history. Now I've become even more distraught.
    I work with two other people, both the owners. They are a husband and wife team. They both use my work computer at times to find files or create ads as well. I haven't been sexually harassed in any way physically by either of the folks I work with. There was another employee before me, but she hadn't mentioned anything strange to me and seemed content with the company. I'm not sure if I should ask her about it or not.
    My husband is a bit concerned with my accidental findings, as am I. We are both worried something bad will happen to me, whether it be rape, sexual harassment or I'll be accused of posting the images or looking up the pornographic websites.
    There are time stamps on the images and in the web browser's browsing history, which obviously had not been erased. They are listed during times I was not working. There is also a security camera pointed toward my work area. Whether or not it's actually on and working is a mystery to me.
    I am seriously considering leaving the job because I am so disturbed and a little frightened by what I've come across. It's very unprofessional and I don't want to see these things or know what sort of things my bosses are into. Their personal lives are of no interest to me.
    I'm not sure if I should just keep quiet and continue working there, tell my lady boss what I've found on the computer, quitting, or seeing if I should take legal action. I don't think it is right for them to have that sort of content on company computers that pretty much anybody has access to. I'm really at a loss here.
    I have previously asked a lawyer for an opinion if there was any legal action I can take, but she basically said there wasn't much I could do because they could always turn it around on me. I was just wondering if I could possibly get a second opinion. Thank you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    8,238

    Default Re: Privately Owned Business Has Pornography on Public Work Computers

    First, understand that just because the owners might look at porn on their work computers or even store nude photos of themselves (which they may not know are still there) does not mean they are going to sexually harass you, let alone rape you. Millions of people look at porn every day and the vast majority of them do not commit any kind of sex offense. You may find porn disgusting and that’s fine, but just because you think it’s bad doesn't mean that everyone who views porn is evil and out to hurt others.

    Second, unless the employer has at least 15 employees the federal law regarding illegal discrimination in employment will not apply. So if this is a really small company with just a couple employees, federal law will not protect you here in the event of sexual harassment. Iowa state law may give you a remedy for sexual harassment, but in general you must first inform the employer of the harassing behavior (the nude photos, etc) first. The employer’s responsibility is to make it stop. Only if it continues after that might you have some remedy.

    Realistically, if this bothers you that much, your best option is probably to look for employment elsewhere.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    15

    Default Re: Privately Owned Business Has Pornography on Public Work Computers

    Agree with Taxing Matters, it's a HUGE stretch from viewing porn to go as far as rape.
    We can all agree it's unprofessional, however nothing illegal.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    1,142

    Default Re: Privately Owned Business Has Pornography on Public Work Computers

    Your key statement is "I don't think it's right!" And of course you're entitled to your opinion. However, don't expect everyone else in the world to be as bent out of shape by this as you are. I strongly suggest that you begin looking for another job while you still have this one. Because if you bring it up, start talking to the "lady boss" about it, complain to or discuss it with co workers, etc. it could as the attorney pointed out, be turned around and draw a lot of negative attention to you. And if you quit your job due to moral outrage, you'll probably not be able to draw unemployment benefits while seeking another job. So keep your head down, be careful always of putting yourself in situations where you might be raped or sexually assaulted, regardless of where you work or what is going on, and exercise your right to find another job and quit at that time. You don't even have to discuss the reason why you're leaving with anybody. Just find another job, and then move on.

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