My employees like to watch adult-oriented programming at work while on break. Should I allow this?

Question

I am a manager and the owner, as a present, ordered us DirecTV for the office. When he ordered it he just said "give me everything" not thinking. So we have Playboy TV and well.... all the other adult channels too.

Well our breakroom has a lock on it for privacy and I noticed a few employees secretly scheduling their breaks back to back so they can have the breakroom all to themselves for whatever reason.

So one day, I ran a splitter from the box to the tv and put it through the wall with an exiting wire we had from the pre4vious cable service and hooked it up to a TV so I could see. Sure enough, they are watching these channels on break.

I mean, we have a rule that the breakroom is private and not to disturb other employees but this ain't a jack shack. So what do I do?

Not kidding.

Answer 1

that's inappropriate for work, call direct tv and have those chanels removed, you're at work, it's a place to be professional, not perverted!

Answer 2

No, that is not acceptable for a professional setting. I would put an end to it as a manager and especially as the owner considering that you could get a big fat lawsuit one of these days. Good luck on correcting this issue.  

Answer 3

No, you should not allow this. This could turn into a sexual harassment lawsuit very easily.

If people are going to be doing such things they need to do it where the company isn't liable.

Answer 4

You're the manager.  Tell them that you will not condone that behavior while they are around.  Tell the owner to call DirectTV and have those channels canceled.  This must be costing the owner a lot of money...I have an HBO package and just that costs enough.  And if the owner won't cancel these channels, you can put a block on them.  There's a way to block adult channels...just look on the menu screen.  This is a last resort for you, though.  You don't want to make enemies at work.  If you do the channel blocking, do it secretly.

Answer 5

have them blocked :)  

Answer 6

Nope gotta get rid of it, unfortunately in todays intolerant  society some employee eventually will want to get some revenge and some easy money and what you will end up with is a million dollar slam dunk case.  Break room or not, it's on company property paid for by the company.  Seriously, can I get a job there?  I will split off a couple hundred g's from my settlement for ya.

Not just females either, you can get someone who says they are born again christian and this filth made them feel that the workplace was hostile to them, yada yada yada blah blah blah but unfortunately it's the prissy primadonna's that rule society today.

P.S. And worse thing is you are now aware of it, so you don't even have plausible deniability so they can sue you personally too.

Answer 7

IF U ARE OFFENDED WALK OUT

Answer 8

Never a good idea to allow that sort of stuff to go on at work--could lead you to a lot of legal problems.  Call up the DirectTV company and ask them to turn off the adult channels (or tell you boss to do it if the DirectTV company will only take requests from him, tell him why you're asking for this to happen, he'll like your initiative and concern).  Also warn your employees--all your employees--that although the tv receives all those stations, they are NOT allowed to watch the adult channels and will be fired if they do to give them a chance to stop.

You might also want to look into the legalities of having a lock on a breakroom all the employees use--things could happen inside that could lead ot trouble for you ("when we get behind closed doors...").  It's a breakroom, not a bathroom, not a dressing room; anyone should be able to walk in confident that nothing indecent or private is going on.

Answer 9

Just call the cable company and tell them to block those channels. Or block them yourself. I'm sure there is a parental control module you can program.

Answer 10

I like S's answer. Just cancel those channels. They can't complain to you without ratting themselves out.

Oh, but if there are no female employees where you work, then don't be lame.

Answer 11

I agree, call the cable company and have those channels blocked. If someone wants to watch p**n...let them do it elsewhere! There is a privacy rule for the break room as long as no sexual activity of any kind is going on. Even in the break room the sexual harassment rule is to be followed. Who knows what else they are doing besides just watching the tv set???

Answer 12

you should not allow it

Answer 13

You might be setting yourself up for a sexual harassment lawsuit if you let it happen

Answer 14

Of course not. Take some control. You are not onloy the manager but the owner as well. It is very inapropriate to let this behaviour continue.

They are at work wethere they are on a break or not. It is a place of business. What they choose to watch in there own homes is their business.

You really need to stop this.

It also shows the lack of repect they have for you. Do not encourage them by allwoing this to go on.

Answer 15

No, get your computer company to help you block these sites on your company computers.