Using a scanner at work to listen to your works radio channel

[pb_lonny]

Question:
Does anybody use a scanner at work to listen to your works radio channel? I have my own office so have my scanner on my desk during the day while I am working with the volume low and hidden out of view. I scan a wide range of channels including the channel used by a different department of my work place.

Nobody has said anything about it but I just wanted to check if it was something that could get me in trouble?

 

[com501]

Did you check your company policy manual?

Are you authorized to have a radio as a normal course of your employment? If yes, then I wouldn't think that listening would be a problem, but ASKING is better than getting shown the door.......

 

[KC2YSI]

Depends on the employer, but I would check with your human resources department.

 

[ten13]

Unless you work at a nuclear power plant or NASA headquarters or the Pentagon, what are you listening to?: maintenance people being "dispatched" to a garbage spill? Plumbers to water leaks? Stuck elevators?

If you ask HR, they are going to say 'no' primarily because they have no idea what you are talking about.

Just continue what you are doing: keep it low and hidden, and if for some reason you are "exposed," tell them that you picked it from...or are bringing it to...the shop for repairs before/after work, and don't bring it in again.

 

[flythunderbird]

I have done it in the past, and nobody has said anything about it. But then I also use a set of earbuds with it so nobody will suspect anything ... they think I'm listening to an iPod like everyone else. :lol:

 

[com501]

Good job on the subterfuge there. Maybe he wants to listen to the slots department and he works in food services. The only thing that makes any difference is what his employer will do about it if he gets caught.

Honesty and full disclosure is ALWAYS the best policy. The employer has FULL CONTROL over what you do in THEIR workplace, and doesn't need any reason to kick you to the curb. Ask first, ask politely, be prepared to give a reasonable justification if asked, and don't pout if the answer is no. ABOVE ALL, if told no, then NO, do not go ahead and 'do it anyway', unless you REALLY think the unemployment figures are as low as the Government says they are. You will find out real quick.

 

[newsphotog]

If you have to ask if something is going to get you into trouble...

 

[w8prr]

scanner at work

Easier to ask for forgivness than for permission!

 

[teufler]

HR, its safer to say "NO" because a "yes" answer someone can point and said you said it. My experience with HR required somebody to sprinkle holy water before someone could say yes to anything. Does your work enviroment allows radios playing music, or tv's in offices. If they allow radios on peoples desks, I would say you are good to go, just your radio will not play music. Now I don't know what kind of business your in. Most will be ho hum traffic. Yolu might here security report to so and so office for an escort out of the building.

 

[iMONITOR]

Don't ask, don't tell! :wink:

 

[pb_lonny]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes some people do listen to radios while they work or music off their PC, I work in a totally different department to those who use our channel.

 

[dmg1969]

It all depends on the nature of the business, which you did not disclose. If it's a taxi company or cleaning company, that's one thing. However, if you work for an armored car company...that might raise some eyebrows. As yourself this..."would my doing so cast serious suspicion on me?" If so, then I would think twice.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pb_lonny]

Thanks for the reply. I scan a wide range of channels including the one used by some of our employees. Not security related at all, I will keep doing it until somebody says something....

 

[AZScanner]

My personal experience is that so long as it doesn't disturb anyone else, and there's no clear policy against it, then it should be fine. I once got in trouble for listening to MP3's I brought in from home once and copied to my work computer. Windows Media Player went out onto the internet and happily downloaded all sorts of album art, song and artist info, etc and raised a big fat flag with IT who thought I was using their network to download music. Once I explained what it was, it was no big deal so long as I removed the files and promised "never again". Meanwhile my scanner has been on my desk at just about every job I've ever had and it's never been an issue. YMMV of course...

-AZ