Prevent Sexual Harassment In The Workplace
Q: my computer is in a public room. Is it "prudish" of me to not want
others to see nudity no matter how artistic?
A: Our corporate IT security people don't generally have problems with nude photos: I know, as I am the the local "enforcer" on such matters and I have examined the policies carefully. Our IT policies disallow pornography, not nudity. For example, some of our people do scientific research on breast cancer: I absolutely definitely do not have any mandate to restrict them from performing their duties by blocking non-pornographic but nude pictures. That having been said, if I happen to become aware that someone is displaying a nude picture on their computer and that someone else is uncomfortable because of it, then I would step in. That wouldn't be because of the IT policies, though: it would be because I am a manager and I have duties under the Canada Human Rights Act to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. I would do the same thing for a sexual, racial or ethnic joke or slur -- there's nothing special about images under the CHRA. If someone happens to have (say) a screensaver that includes a picture of the statutes of David or Venus, then it's not a problem under our policies unless someone says something: such images are not considered *inherently* offensive.