Should a workplace attempt to dictate the private life of it's employees?

Niyi Briggs · Jul 13, 2023

Once in my office, the wife of one of my colleagues came fuming and demanded to see the boss. The issue was that her husband who is my colleague doesn't spend the night at home. So, she came to report the husband to our boss.

This got me wondering if my boss has the right to tell this my colleague to spend nights at home since it doesn't concern the workplace and the discharge of his job roles.

The question is "can an organization use any means to try and control the behavior and private life of it's employees"?

cherry123 · Jul 13, 2023

This is like inviting a third party into your very private life of marriage. I don't think this will be right for any partner in the marriage should do. A marriage counselor would be appropriate

Niyi Briggs · Jul 13, 2023

Can my boss penalize me for being a flirt out of the workplace? Absolutely no. It is my private life and it doesn't affect the company in any way but some companies take the private lives of their employees very serious.

Springtime · Jul 13, 2023

I think the employer has no right to interfere with the private life of an employee unless s(he) is doing something harmful to the company. The wife mentioned is apparently not doing the right thing.

Niyi Briggs · Jul 13, 2023

Springtime said:
I think the employer has no right to interfere with the private life of an employee unless s(he) is doing something harmful to the company. The wife mentioned is apparently not doing the right thing.

You know some people can just be very irrational when it comes to issues like this. The highest the employer can do is to advise and it is the employee's decision to take the advice or not as far as his philandering activities doesn't affect his job in any way.

Bisolami · Jul 13, 2023

Niyi Briggs said:
Once in my office, the wife of one of my colleagues came fuming and demanded to see the boss. The issue was that her husband who is my colleague doesn't spend the night at home. So, she came to report the husband to our boss.

This got me wondering if my boss has the right to tell this my colleague to spend nights at home since it doesn't concern the workplace and the discharge of his job roles.

The question is "can an organization use any means to try and control the behavior and private life of it's employees"?

I don't think whatever I do with my life is the Business of my workplace as long as I do my work very well so they should not have any reason to intervene into my affairs especially my personal affairs

Niyi Briggs · Jul 13, 2023

Bisolami said:
I don't think whatever I do with my life is the Business of my workplace as long as I do my work very well so they should not have any reason to intervene into my affairs especially my personal affairs

The boundaries of your workplace should be the ability for you to discharge your responsibilities very well. Apart from that, how you live the other part of your life should not be of concern to anyone.

Heatman · Jul 13, 2023

She's a very stupid woman as far as I'm concerned. I will have security throw her off the business premises.

Etini Willie · Jul 13, 2023

Heatman said:
She's a very stupid woman as far as I'm concerned. I will have security throw her off the business premises.

Boss I am sure you won't do that as a business owner but I get your point though. She should have known better not to bring family matters to the workplace. That can even damage the reputation of her husband in the workplace.

Authenticity101 · Jul 14, 2023

I don't think that a boss in business should have any control of workers' private lives. They only have control of the workers at the workplace. Outside that, they shouldn't bother with any choices they make in their private lives.

eldavis · Jul 14, 2023

Personally i do not think they have the right to do so, as long as the worker is able to separate their personal life from their jobs, the boss has no right to tell them how to live their lives.

Niyi Briggs · Jul 14, 2023

Any boss that tries to interfere with my private life would never have my ear or respect as regarding that. You can't be controlling my corporate life and also want to control my private life.

Blessed19 · Jul 14, 2023

An employer has no rights over the personal life of their employee do their can show some concern when performance of the employee is dropping but not to dictate their personal life.

cherry123 · Nov 11, 2023

I don't think the employer has a right to interfere with the private life of an employee because it is the private life of the person. We need to sort out personal life from work life.

kirubel · Nov 23, 2023

No an organization or the boss can't control the workers privet life or the life workers have outside the working area, but if the boss or employer have good heart then he or she can advice the worker to have good life and to have peaceful life with their families.

King Belieal · Nov 23, 2023

There is what we call reputation in business and staff can by their actions and inactions outside work define the reputation of the company he works for. Imagine, I am a teacher and I am found dead drunk in a bar and it is public news, it would affect the reputation of the organization I work for.

In as much as employers cannot control the private life of employees, they employees should not do something in their private lifes that would bring the companies they work for into disrepute.

Stardom22 · Nov 23, 2023

l oftenly see this happening in my country. The human resources managers seem to work out on the family related issues in the workplace. This is because it's only the boss that can be listened to buy the affected parties.

cherry123 · Nov 23, 2023

No company should do this. it is not right . The truth is that as a boss you have no right and you can't control the workers private life . it is their personal life

Kera · Aug 9, 2024

What organisations don't know is that they only have powers over the things that happen in the workplace. What doesn't happen in the workplace doesn't concern the organisation.

SHAHID987 · Aug 9, 2024

Here with same behavior an employee may come in hot water. This case indicating a sort of worst thing which I feel not to mention here. If the woman do have severe personal problem with her husband then she could go to some senior in relatives.

Should a workplace attempt to dictate the private life of it's employees?

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