Study Finds Salary Information More Accessible Than Expected
What one employee makes compared to what another coworker or employee makes has long been considered a matter of strict confidentiality. Finding out what a colleague receives in terms of take-home pay, bonuses, and other benefits can cause tension between workers and companies.
According to an article appearing on the Human Resources Online website, a recent survey conducted by Kaspersky Labs found that approximately 37% of workers participating in the survey accidentally found out colleagues’ salaries, bonuses, and other confidential information. Approximately 7000 employees from several countries participated in the survey.
Kaspersky also found that less than half of those surveyed (43%) checked or changed their data preferences to limit access rights for documents that are shared on the job. Periodic checking, according to the digital security software developer, is especially important whenever a coworker changes departments or leaves the company. When that happens, access to the shared files and directories, according to Kaspersky, should be revoked immediately.
Another prevalent problem, according to the survey, is that of digital clutter. Kaspersky describes this problem as the uncontrolled proliferation and sharing of work files and documents and keeping them without the necessary precautions. The survey found that only 29% of those surveyed knew exactly what is shared in these documents or who had access to these shared resources. The prevailing attitude among employees surveyed is that the responsibility for the security of these documents and their handling was the responsibility of someone else.
The survey suggests that workers across organizations need to be educated about security and protection of sensitive data as well as how to recognize and not fall prey to phishing emails. Working with IT Managers and data security firms, businesses will be better able to keep sensitive and shared data safe and secure.
