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Hi Everyone,
I was hoping to get some advice. I have been with my employer for almost 3 years. The week before last, I connected to one of their wifi networks on my personal mobile which required a login, this was different to the main wifi network which all of the companies devices connect to for work purposes. The main wifi network is heavy on security all social media and most non-work related internet sites are blocked. I connected to the other wifi network as that is the one we are meant to connect to for non-work related wifi connections for personal use, a lot of people use it for spotify for example.
What I done using the wifi on that day did not break any workplaces rules at all. However, I promptly forgot to disconnect myself from the wifi.
Subsequently, last week (Weds), I was in the office, I received a link in a WhatsApp from a friend who sends, shall we say stuff you don't want your employer seeing you looking at. Later that morning when I went to the toilet, I had nothing else to do so clicked on the link, navigated around a bit and didn't think anything of it. Finished up and went back to work as normal.
The next day, same said friend sent another link to a similar sort of site, again later in the day, when doing the daily morning routine. I clicked on the link. Shortly after, I saw that I was still connected to the work wifi and my heart sank.
I cannot explain the emotions that ran through my mind in the next 30 seconds or every second since. I have been unable to sleep or concentrate on anything since.
I immediately turned wifi off on my phone, but the damage was done. My first thoughts were that maybe I wasn't actually on the wifi as I would expect that sort of stuff to be blocked.
It wasn't porn perse but it was pictures of celebrities faces superimposed over questionable images, other joke images like a woman breast feeding a child whilst on a bike, with the caption to not drink and drive etc. However the company would definitely see this as porn and would treat it as gross mis-conduct.
I have been looking to leave the company for a while and I am very close to securing a new job elsewhere. But even if that doesn't come off. My main concern now is, that I keep my employment history references clean.
The company are generally really really poor at most admin, IT, and other such stuff, so there is a chance that this may never come to light. However I just don't know how this would not have triggered some big red alarm somewhere in the IT department.
Initially I thought it best to come clean and report myself but I don't think many people would do that. Plus I wasn't sure why the site hadn't been blocked, so was hoping that maybe I had dropped off the wifi.
Then I was going to see how things played out and came up with a huge cover story of malware, adware etc being on my phone which meant it was beyond my control.
Now I just want out with a clean reference if that is at all possible. Yes I really messed up, but I really don't want 1 mistake to potentially ruin everything going forward and that is all my mind can focus on currently.
As I see it my options are:
Assuming no investigation is started.
1) Keep my mouth shut, get that other job, negotiate the quickest notice period possible and get out. However that is a rather large assumption to make.
2) Resign immediately, try to negotiate the quickest possible exit and hope I get out prior to any investigation. I have had a few issues in the last year with regard to stress brought on by the role and company so I would play on that and finding another job as my reasons.
3) Same as 2 but literally state I need a mutual termination now due to the above, as in immediate resignation. This is my preferred way forward even if it would leave me potentially jobless in the short term. I understand that this would stop the employer stating I was sacked for GM or resigned due to a disciplinary investigation. Getting them to agree to it would be hard though.
If I have to go with option 2, which is the most likely, once the resignation is accepted, and end date agreed. I understand the company can start an investigation and start a disciplinary process and maybe even complete it prior to the leave date. However, if they do not complete the disciplinary prior to the end date are they able to still put on any references left resigned due to disciplinary, as the reason for me resigning as far as they know at the time of my resignation was to get out due to my health rather than the other matter.
Also as they will already know I am leaving, would that then put me in a stronger position to negotiate a mutual termination and agree a basic reference as part of that deal with no mention of any disciplinary, especially if I agree to that being my only condition within the termination.
Apologies for the length of the post and thanks in advance.
I was hoping to get some advice. I have been with my employer for almost 3 years. The week before last, I connected to one of their wifi networks on my personal mobile which required a login, this was different to the main wifi network which all of the companies devices connect to for work purposes. The main wifi network is heavy on security all social media and most non-work related internet sites are blocked. I connected to the other wifi network as that is the one we are meant to connect to for non-work related wifi connections for personal use, a lot of people use it for spotify for example.
What I done using the wifi on that day did not break any workplaces rules at all. However, I promptly forgot to disconnect myself from the wifi.
Subsequently, last week (Weds), I was in the office, I received a link in a WhatsApp from a friend who sends, shall we say stuff you don't want your employer seeing you looking at. Later that morning when I went to the toilet, I had nothing else to do so clicked on the link, navigated around a bit and didn't think anything of it. Finished up and went back to work as normal.
The next day, same said friend sent another link to a similar sort of site, again later in the day, when doing the daily morning routine. I clicked on the link. Shortly after, I saw that I was still connected to the work wifi and my heart sank.
I cannot explain the emotions that ran through my mind in the next 30 seconds or every second since. I have been unable to sleep or concentrate on anything since.
I immediately turned wifi off on my phone, but the damage was done. My first thoughts were that maybe I wasn't actually on the wifi as I would expect that sort of stuff to be blocked.
It wasn't porn perse but it was pictures of celebrities faces superimposed over questionable images, other joke images like a woman breast feeding a child whilst on a bike, with the caption to not drink and drive etc. However the company would definitely see this as porn and would treat it as gross mis-conduct.
I have been looking to leave the company for a while and I am very close to securing a new job elsewhere. But even if that doesn't come off. My main concern now is, that I keep my employment history references clean.
The company are generally really really poor at most admin, IT, and other such stuff, so there is a chance that this may never come to light. However I just don't know how this would not have triggered some big red alarm somewhere in the IT department.
Initially I thought it best to come clean and report myself but I don't think many people would do that. Plus I wasn't sure why the site hadn't been blocked, so was hoping that maybe I had dropped off the wifi.
Then I was going to see how things played out and came up with a huge cover story of malware, adware etc being on my phone which meant it was beyond my control.
Now I just want out with a clean reference if that is at all possible. Yes I really messed up, but I really don't want 1 mistake to potentially ruin everything going forward and that is all my mind can focus on currently.
As I see it my options are:
Assuming no investigation is started.
1) Keep my mouth shut, get that other job, negotiate the quickest notice period possible and get out. However that is a rather large assumption to make.
2) Resign immediately, try to negotiate the quickest possible exit and hope I get out prior to any investigation. I have had a few issues in the last year with regard to stress brought on by the role and company so I would play on that and finding another job as my reasons.
3) Same as 2 but literally state I need a mutual termination now due to the above, as in immediate resignation. This is my preferred way forward even if it would leave me potentially jobless in the short term. I understand that this would stop the employer stating I was sacked for GM or resigned due to a disciplinary investigation. Getting them to agree to it would be hard though.
If I have to go with option 2, which is the most likely, once the resignation is accepted, and end date agreed. I understand the company can start an investigation and start a disciplinary process and maybe even complete it prior to the leave date. However, if they do not complete the disciplinary prior to the end date are they able to still put on any references left resigned due to disciplinary, as the reason for me resigning as far as they know at the time of my resignation was to get out due to my health rather than the other matter.
Also as they will already know I am leaving, would that then put me in a stronger position to negotiate a mutual termination and agree a basic reference as part of that deal with no mention of any disciplinary, especially if I agree to that being my only condition within the termination.
Apologies for the length of the post and thanks in advance.
xxx
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