There are many sides to the issue of workplace privacy. The employee side holds that employees have the right to privacy, that employers should respect and trust their employees, and that any issues regarding performance or conduct can be observed by the manager. The employer side holds that the workplace is a public environment; that the organization is responsible for the actions of its employees and for their interac tions with clients, visitors, and other employees, and that it has the right to safeguard But It's My Privacy! its business. Many companies monitor email, voice mail, and employee computer use. Most employee monitoring is perfectly legal. The general legal view is that any equip ment (computers, telephones, etc.) is company property and that employees should not be using them for personal reasons. Companies can trace deleted emails and voice mails, special software can track Internet use, and wireless video cameras are small enough to look like pagers. More and more employees are using technology, and this makes it even easier to monitor their work. Organizations monitor employees in order to deter crime, protect business secrets, and ensure a safe and supportive work environment. A major reason for monitoring is to ensure that employees are actually working. Most employees waste at least a little time each day, however innocently. One company used a software tracking system to identify a group of employees who were selling Amway products from work. Another manager watched in horror as one of his top employees was led away by police, who had tracked his illegal activity (child pornography) through his email address, which contained the company name. Some employers have abused their right to monitor employees--for example, by vid- eotaping them in washrooms or hiring investigators to follow them. Another problem is the inferential misuse of the information obtained. For example, an employee may be visiting Internet sites on suicide, HIV, or substance dependence while doing research for a college paper. Employers may falsely infer from this that these issues personally affect the individual. Now there is the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Employers will sometimes monitor employees as they post information to see what is being communicated about the company or whether the employee is doing something that may create issues for the company. In addition, hiring managers may start searching social media sites when considering reviewing resumes to see what the applicant is posting. Questions: 1. Employers usually do not have policies on using the telephone at work. Why, then, do employers need to develop policies on monitoring the use of email, the Internet, social media, and other forms of technology? 2. Few studies have considered the impact of monitoring on employee behaviour. Does it reduce crime and make workplaces safer and more productive? Or does it increase stress and result in an adversarial relationship? What do you and why? 3. If an employer allows you to use your own smartphone at work for business purposes, should the employer be allowed to monitor emails? Why or why not? think