Employee Monitoring Paper

Mr. Rugenstein

Information Systems 101

August 27, 2005

Employee Monitoring

Employee monitoring involves the use of computers to observe, record, and review an employee's use of a computer, including communications such as e-mail, keyboard activity (used to measure productivity), and Web sites visited. Many computers programs exist that easily allow employers to monitor employees. Further, it is legal for employers to use these programs.

A frequently debated issue is whether an employer has the right to read employee e-mail messages. Actual policies vary widely. Some companies declare that they will review e-mail messages regularly' other state that e-mail messages without employee notification. One recent survey discovered that more than 73 percent of companies search and/or read employee files, voice mail, e-mail messages, Web connections, and other networking communications. Another claimed that 25 percent of companies have fired employees for misusing communications technology.

Currently, no privacy laws exist relating to employee e-mail (Privacy Laws and Personal Data). The 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act provides the same right of privacy protections that covers the postal delivery service and telephone companies to various forms of electronic communications, such as e-mail, voice mail, and cellular telephones. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act, however, does not cover communications within a company. This is because any piece of mail sent form an employer's computer is considered company property. Several lawsuits have been filed against employers because many people believe that such internal employee communications should be private. (Slobovnik and Stuart 144-160).

Works Cited Page

Lang, Stefanie. "The New Invasion: Employee Monitoring and Privacy Issues." Technology Issues Aug. 2005: 33-45.

Privacy Laws and Personal Data. Shelly Cashman Series. Course Technology. 3 Aug. 2005. www.scsite.com/wd2003/pr2/wc2.htm.

Slobovnik, Victor W., and Janel K.Stuart. Workplace Challenges. Dallas" Techno-Cyber Publishing, 2005.