Every employer is different, and understanding what you are getting into in terms of working culture is a great way to set your expectations and work to protect your privacy. Some steps you will want to take regardless, while others will depend on what the working culture is like.
Either way, it is irresponsible not to protect your privacy beforehand. An ill-created post from ten years ago could cause ruin, and the easiest way to remove it is to thoroughly check through your accounts in advance.
Your privacy, however, does not end there. From protecting your health privacy to ensuring that nothing that your friends post can be linked to you, here is the complete guide on what to do:
Search for Reviews on Your Company
There are websites out there where employees can review their company and reveal what it is really like working there. You should have already had a look at these before you accepted the job, but now that you are about to start, it’s time to dig deeper. See if you can find out what their policies are and what you can expect in terms of your privacy. Your company might be strict with drug testing, for example, and if you have a health condition that would be flagged during the drug test that you would rather keep private, then you will need to take steps in advance to protect yourself. In most cases, you cannot simply refuse the test, so instead, you might want to consider a method that will keep your genetic data private, like a Urinator. Having one and keeping it ready in advance can really save you from having your private health data exposed.
Restrict Co-Workers Access to Your Social Media
Unless you have a professional reason for your social accounts to be public, they should be private. Of course, as you become friends with your co-workers, it is only natural to start adding them and following them online. Unless you are true friends, however, you should work to restrict their access. This can be done easily on Facebook by putting all your co-workers into one group and then restricting that group’s access to your posts. On Instagram, you can limit access on a person by person basis, and create a close-friends list for your stories. This way, you can make sure that nothing happens online that can come back to bite you at work.
Know Your Rights
Last but not least, it is essential to know your rights. These will change depending on where you are working and what state (or country) you are working in. Becoming familiar with workers’ rights, privacy rights, and anti-discrimination laws will ensure you are not walked over whatsoever in your career. Don’t assume your employers or the people you know won’t try to, either. Arming yourself with knowledge hurts no one and only protects yourself.
Protecting your privacy is vital to keep a healthy distance away from work. By all means, become friends outside of work with some of your co-workers, but until you feel you trust them implicitly, it is best to keep everyone an arm’s length away from your personal life.