Employee Privacy Rights In The Workplace: Working In Today's Electronic Age

5 Pages 1249 Words

Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace

Working in Today’s Electronic Age

In today's electronic age, employee privacy rights in the workplace should be balanced evenly with the needs of the employer. Research has indicated that as of 1999, nearly two-thirds of mid-size to large-sized companies used some form of monitoring. (Hartman, 2001). Does this type of monitoring affect the employees working for those companies? Employees believe so. Employees argue that they are being subjected to a hostile work environment and their fourth amendment rights are being violated by employer monitoring. However, employers argue they need to monitor employees to increase productivity. Employers also argue their liability exposure can be decreased when monitoring occurs due to reduced inappropriate employee actions.
Employee Arguments against Monitoring
"Look in on Sue's computer screen....in fact, Sue doesn't even know you're there!" This is an ad for Norton-Lambert's Close-Up/LAN software package (Moore, 2001, p. 705). Employees use this argument to justify a seemingly hostile work environment. Their beliefs are that employers do not announce or even provide a policy on monitoring procedures and, in turn, "over monitor" the employees. New technologies have made it possible for employees to be monitored in almost every area of their workplace. Examples of this type of monitoring are 1) computer software that can monitor keystrokes, electronic email and the use of the internet by an employee, 2) badges that can monitor and keep track of where an employee is while inside the workplace and 3) phone recording devices. Monitoring of employees has become so common that research reveals these monitoring systems are creating "fear, resentment, and elevated stress levels" for employees (Moore, 2001).
Furthermore, employees also claim that monitoring by their employers creates an atmosphere of distrust. This can lead to job stress; and in the long t...