Job Discussion Forums

[bextamorph]

Hello,

I work at Web International in Urumqi. Our boss came up with a genius idea to display in the reception area personal details of all the foreign staff next to our profiles ahead of a visit by the Education Bureau. This information is available to anyone who walks through the reception area and includes:

Full name
DOB
passport number
Address in China

We were never asked consent so my colleagues took them down. But then she claimed this is common practice all across China. So I want to know... Is it? Really??? Who would consent to that!? I'm no law expert, but it would seem to be in breach of section 253 of the PRC Criminal Law:


“Working personnel of state agencies, or of organizations in particular financial, telecom, transportation, education or health sectors who sell or illegally provide to other persons individual information of citizens obtained during the course of such organization’s performance of official duties or provision of services shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years or criminal detention and concurrently or independently, to a fine, if the circumstance is serious.
Anyone who illegally obtains the above information by means of stealing or others shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
If an organization commits a crime under the preceding two paragraphs, the organization shall be sentenced to a fine and concurrently, the person-in-charge directly responsible and other persons directly responsible of it shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs.”

She hasn't yet put the information back up, but if she does, what should I do? It really freaks me out!!

[Shroob]

[JamesD]

Tell the boss you'll think about it as soon as they also post his/her picture and info. Chinese ID number, address, mobile phone, bank account #,...

You also might insist that the staffs' (secretaries, drivers, accountant) info also be posted.

[Javelin of Radiance]

[litterascriptor]

I wouldn't mind the address being the school's address. Passport number is out of the question.

Maybe get them to replace it with your "official" QQ number?

Also, what is it like living in Urumqi? Is it worth visiting?

[The_Kong]

[Voyeur]

I feel you have to be creative and constructive in these situations--give them a solution that doesn't completely void what they have going. Keep the name and DOB up there (no sweat), and ask them to change "Passport" to "Nationality" and simply remove the apartment number from the address or otherwise generalize where you live so that you don't feel threatened.

Try not to get bogged down in whether this is fair. For example, if you are a woman and don't like your exact age known, you could get upset and bemoan the fact that Chinese women past a certain age also don't like their exact age revealed. Instead, I'd just roll with it. Make only the changes you need to feel safe, and seem humble and slightly apologetic about it. Let them save face.

[The Voice Of Reason]

Name, age & favorite pizza topping are all fine. I'd make it clear that its perfectly unacceptable, however, for your passport and address details to be made publicly available. I respectfully disagree with Voyeur's advice of "seem humble and slightly apologetic. Let them save face." Each to our own (ways). In my opinion you'll be looked down on and treated with more contempt and disregard if you don't display much of a backbone.

[choudoufu]

well, fix it, dammit!

tell your overlords that releasing that information is simply unacceptable.

at the same time, you have to provide the solution.
get the foreign staff to fill out a form with the following:

english name
chinese name
nationality
home town
highest degree (if any)
hobbies/sports
outstanding warrants
anything of interest

fire up the word processor, format a nice display with boxes
and some simple graphics. and your digitized photos. should
take half an hour.

print and deliver.

[Babala]

I had this experience at a different Web center years ago. I walked in to find all of our info had been posted up including phone numbers and home addresses. I immediately demanded they take them down. That day however a student who had a crush on one of the teachers (21 year old Canadian girl) copied the info and showed up at her apartment at two in the morning, drunk and pounding violently on her door. She called me in tears and the police had to come remove him.

They never posted the info again.

[fat_chris]

I agree with The Voice of Reason (appropriate nom de plume in this case) and this is the reason why I agree:

[fat_chris]

[Voyeur]

I fail to see how you can't be respectful and show a backbone at the same time. There is no reason not to provide an opportunity for things to be settled harmoniously with face saving all around. The point is that this approach should be how you BEGIN the conversation. Many times your employer will accept your suggestions and there is no need to escalate. Of course should they prove more intransigent, you may need to be firmer. But you can still be firm even in the face of intransigence while still being relatively soft-spoken and humble about it.

Providing a solution that doesn't invalidate what they had going on is often critical, and that is why I suggested modifying their categories changing passport number to nationality and removing the most specific elements of the address. The idea that you IMPROVE their model is even better. Gathering the hobbies, etc. of your fellow teacher and printing it up in an even better format than they had is a brilliant idea.

There are times when you can eventually be backed into a corner and be forced to say "No. I won't do this. Your idea is crazy/insulting/unsafe/etc.". But 9 times out of 10 there is a better way.

[coldcucumber]

[Babala]

The one at my old school wasn't posted in the front but in the Chinese tutor's office where the students would go to discuss classes with the tutors or simply hang out.

I ripped it down right away without any discussion. I explained to the tutor who was in the office why I did it and she had no problem with my reasoning or my decision to take it down immediately.

I'm all for trying to keep good relations with management but in the case of safety issues then I'm going to protect myself first and foremost.