'It feels invasive': Manager requests remote access to employee's personal computer during meeting, employee refuses

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Aug 9, 2023 2:00 PM EDT

Welcome to another toxic workplace in which a manager thinks he has way more power than he does! In this case, we have a new horrible boss who doesn't understand how to gain access to his team's project. Rather than admit he needs help to gain said access, he has been forcing various team members to grant him remote access to their personal computers during Zoom meetings. Now that this Redditor is the next one on the team who is expected to do this, he is dreading the meeting.

 

Let's break down why this manager's expectations are beyond inappropriate. For starters, this is not someone's work computer we're talking about here. This is their personal computer… the same personal computer that includes text messages and search history. The Redditor also revealed that this search history prominently features several job websites, as he has been mass applying to other positions and does not want that information to be revealed to his manager (understandably). 

 

As several folks in the comments section below suggested, OP is well within his right to deny his manager that remote access. He can explain that it's his personal computer and is not only uncomfortable doing this but he is also not required to do this, as this action is not specified anywhere in his contract. Furthermore, the employee can go a step further and set up a meeting with either IT or the office manager to help his boss gain access to the project on his own device. That level of initiative may be a win-win for everyone involved.

 

For more stories like this, here's one about an employee who discovered their own position on a job posting site.

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  • 01
    Computer
    via Oğuzhan Akdoğan
  • 02
    Font - Manager wants remote control access to my PC. Is there a legitimate way to tell him no? First, I'm in the process of job hunting so I can get away from this place, but until then I am stuck here.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 03
    Font - My company recently hired an hole manager who constantly micromanages and bullies the team. He's supposed to approve our pull requests, but he doesn't know how to access the project and I think only me and the other team members know. We asked if he needed help in the beginning and he said no, so we've just been watching him come up with a million reasons for why he doesn't have access to the latest project for the last few months.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 04
    Font - So when we have to show him something, he'll insist on gaining remote access to our PC via Zoom to check instead of pulling the newest version on his own computer. My turn is coming up tomorrow, and I really don't want him to.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 05
    Font - First of all, it's my personal PC. It feels invasive. Second, call me petty but I don't want to help this hole save face. I already wrote in the company slack telling him I strongly recommend he checks my work on his own PC because it's quite heavy.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 06
    Human body - Can I give a legitimate reason as to why I won't allow him to do that, and to instead tell him to update the project and share his screen?
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 07
    Font - Incomitatum 5 hr. ago Mutualist If he wants to invade your space, he can do so through a WORK Laptop that they provide to you. No way am I giving anyone access to my Personal machine. 2.5k Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 08
    Font - click_for_sour_belts OP. 5 hr. ago Thanks, I'll tell him. I especially have multiple resumes and cv's open as well as job search sites. It's really a bad time to be digging into my PC! 818 Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 09
    Font - Child Of1970. 5 hr. ago For now working to live, n... Report him to the information security officer. This is a huge security violation. 4 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 10
    Font - click_for_sour_belts OP. 5 hr. ago The closest thing we have to a security officer has no say cause this manager is the COO's friend. But yes, it really is a violation. 374 Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 11
    Font - RevRagnarok 4 hr. ago at work Can I give a legitimate reason Sure: "This is my personal PC not a corporate asset." End of story. If they want to send you a company laptop or something, he can do whatever he wants with it. 537 Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 12
    Font - fortwaltonbleach - 4 hr. ago if they want access to a PC so badly, they should provide you with a PC and all the hickeymadoos that come along with it. and some internets. take it out of the gas budget management has, because we are traveling the information superhighway. in practicalities, id have a burner PC for work stuff/micromanagement *if* possible. 137 Reply Share
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 13
    Font - click_for_sour_belts OP. 1 hr. ago I have an office laptop. However, it's old and slow so it takes forever to load anything in a timely manner and the company doesn't have money to buy me or anyone else a new one.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 14
    Font - Sea-Ad9057.5 hr. ago tell him you have private and confidential information on your personal computer that is not work related so he cannot access your computer tell him you are happy to upload any work related material onto a cloud which he can fully access... if he wants access to your full computer he must provide you with a work computer which you will use for work purposes only
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 15
    Font - click_for_sour_belts OP. 5 hr. ago Thank you. The project size is 80 gigs, but yes I'd be happy to upload it to the company cloud if he doesn't mind waiting hours for it to zip and upload, and then hours to download... Instead of learning to update his own project (which granted will also still take a while because he hasn't done it since joining).
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 16
    Font - Ok-Bus1716 3 hr. ago I had senior leadership who would call me on my personal cell phone and try to talk to me for hours after I'd already worked a (consistently) long day. The things they were saying were statements they would not want on record so I started speaking to them on speaker phone and recording it on my tablet.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 17
    Font - They tried to bring me into HR, for a final written, despite no verbal or PIP, and say that I hadn't completed a project they'd discussed with me. Asked which day it was and how they communicated their needs to me. They realized then there was a problem as they had to admit they called my cell phone. I also happened to have every recording available on a cloud drive. Tried to say it was a company violation to record business calls. Said I was off work and they called my personal cell phon
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 18
    Font - Played a few of the recordings and I was asked, by HR, to give them a few moments. Left and went back to my cubicle. Was later asked how many calls I had recorded. I said enough to cover my ass if they decide to retaliate. My direct manager was demoted to a phone agent and was reporting to me for about 3 months before she found another job within the same company.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 19
    Font - Her boss ended up getting promoted but apologized to me after she realized my conversations with my manager weren't going any higher than that. Probably the most useless person I've ever had the displeasure of working for. Oh I forgot to mention they wanted me to be on a Zoom type call during my work day when I was home so they could 'check in on me.'
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 20
    Font - The number of condescending phone calls I had to sit through with my boss' boss where she was explaining things I'd already tried explaining to my direct super was infuriating but at the time when I'd say 'I've tried explaining this to boss person but apparently you're not hearing about any of it so I stopped wasting my time trying to make useful changes around here.' Was roughly a month or two later when things started to unravel but god was it infuriating in the moment.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts
  • 21
    Rectangle - MyLadyBits 4 hr. ago If it's your personal computer than the answer is no.
    via u/click_for_sour_belts

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boss workplace-stories toxic-manager work stories toxic-workplace manager job work Office Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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