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The XXX Files
The Workplace Is No Place for Porn!
Reputation is character minus what you’ve been caught doing.
—Michael Iapoce, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boardroom
Dear Nan:
My boss is an otherwise great guy, but I accidentally discovered that he has been downloading pornography off the Internet and storing the files on his computer. His computer is in his office, and no one else normally has access to it. I would never have known myself had he not called from a client’s office and asked me to look something up for him. That’s when wham—I came across all these embarrassing images. On one hand, I am thinking that this is his private business and I should just forget about it. However, our company has strict policies against such risky activities. I like my boss a lot, and he has always been appropriate in his dealings with me and the rest of the staff. He doesn’t know I know about these files. What (if anything) should I do?
—Susan in Houston, TX
Houston, we have a problem! (I’ve always wanted to say that.) I think we can all agree that viewing pornography at work is a potential harassment lawsuit. So should your boss be engaging in this behavior on company time with company equipment? The answer is a resounding no!
That’s the easy response to the simpler part of this situation. The more difficult question is: what should you do about it?
