'Give me my space'

Dear Hilka,

Because I work in an open office, I have some serious privacy issues. People walking past or sitting by my desk glance at my computer screen, then comment on what they read. When I am talking on the phone, the person who sits next to me listens in, then comments on the call. On one occasion, I sent something to the printer that was kind of private, albeit business-related, and some people standing near the printer read it.

How do you handle situations like these and what do you say? I was brought up to think there is a level of courtesy one should extend to value someone's privacy so that, even if you did overhear a conversation or see something on a computer screen, you pretend that you didn't and kept quiet about it. Don't you agree?

Private Lives

Dear Private Lives,

RESPECTING the privacy of your co-workers is one of the most basic common courtesies that should be practised in any office. While one may inadvertently glance at someone's computer screen, one should just as quickly avert one's eyes and not comment on what was seen. That applies to anything coming through the printer as well. Nor should one comment on another's telephone calls, be they professional or personal. In fact, one should have made a concerted effort not to eavesdrop.

While it is tempting to lambast others for their rude invasions of privacy, it is important to remember that you still have to work with these people. Discretion and tact are the better part of valour. That, and defensive tactics!

Requisition or invest in a privacy screen for your computer monitor to make it difficult for passers-by to see what is on your screen. Ask your favourite techie how to put a little icon at the bottom of your screen to Show Desktop, if it isn't there already. Then, if someone comes to loiter at your desk for any reason, you can discreetly click on the icon and immediately hide your project from prying eyes. PC users can also click the minimise bar at the top right of the screen while Mac users can hit the collapse box button at the top right of the document to make the work disappear until the coast is clear. However, this is only effective if you have one file open. If someone questions your action, explain that you're working on an early draft that is not yet ready for public viewing. If you were unable to hide the screen from those prying eyes, explain that you understand how easy it is for a person's eyes to be drawn to that bright computer screen, but that it makes you uncomfortable when those eyes linger there, so would they please excuse you while you exit from the file.

When your desk neighbour makes a habit of eavesdropping on your telephone calls and then commenting on them, avoid being drawn into a discussion of your call. Don't respond. If necessary, get up and walk away from your desk for a few minutes. If he persists, simply state, "I'm sorry but I do not want to discuss it with you", or "It makes me very uncomfortable to conduct business when my calls are being audited."

Please try to resist listening. Eventually he should get the message. When the call deals with private issues, be they professional or personal, apologise to the caller and explain that you can't talk right now. Avoid taking any private calls when your neighbour is around.

Eventually your colleague should take the hint and control his tendency to listen in or find more fertile ground for his eavesdropping. A communal printer can be a bit more of a challenge. If it is possible to schedule your printing, try to do so at a time when there are few people around. Then, make sure that you are at the printer to retrieve your work. If you don't have the option to schedule your print runs, check the printer first to see if anyone is around. Then, head back to the printer immediately after you send the document to the printer.

Should the office busybody get there before you, scoop your material out of his hands, thank him with a grateful smile for retrieving it for you before anyone was able to see it since the material was confidential and not meant for prying eyes. Alternatively, just before you print your document, stick a note on the printer that confidential material is coming through, so please avert your eyes and alert me if it arrives before I do. If anyone then reads the confidential material after they have been put on notice, take them aside and calmly, but clearly, explain that their behaviour is unacceptable and you will not tolerate it in future. You might also consider investing in an internal fax so you can either fax or e-mail confidential documents and circumvent prying eyes at the printer. Just be sure to alert recipients that you are about to do so to avoid privacy issues at their end.

A lack of respect for the privacy of co-workers creates a hostile work environment that can be very costly to a company in employee turnover, absenteeism, lost business, lack of productivity and employee stress and frustration. Conflicts arise among co-workers over seemingly minor matters like these that can build on one another and cause a combustible atmosphere. Co-worker courtesy takes little time and costs nothing, but it can do a great deal to making our lives at work more pleasurable and productive.

Best wishes,

HILKA KLINKENBERG

E-mail: hilka_hindu@hotmail.com

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