Privacy in the Workplace

Privacy in the Workplace

Information technology related privacy in the workplace is an ethical issue that has employees and employers divided. Information technology like the internet and email are popular highly used tools for communication purposes by organizations. Due to this fact, employees abuse these tools by surfing the internet, using email for non-work related purposes, and conducting personal business while at work. To combat this abuse, employers have begun to monitor internet and email usage in the workplace. However, some individuals are against this type of monitoring.

Individuals against the use of electronic monitoring of employee’s internet use and email communications believe that it is an intrusion of employee’s privacy, weakens the employee employer trust relationship, has an adverse effect on employee morale, adds more stress on employees, and causes unenthusiastic moods at the workplace (Alder, 2008). When the question is raised on whether or not the monitoring is an invasion of privacy, the authors of the article, “Not Worth the Bad Will”, state “Yes it does. People use the internet as a primary source of getting information and some of this information is sensitive and private. Monitoring the internet gives an employer a window into employee’s private lives”. A study was conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to observe the stress levels of employees who are monitored at work and employees who are not and the study showed that employees who are being monitored at work had higher levels of physical complains like pain in the shoulders, neck, and back (Elmuti and Davis, 2006).

Employers are using electronic communications policies to control how employees can utilize the internet, email, cellular phones, and text messages. (It’s Time, 2010). Due to the fact the employers have to protect themselves and their employees, electronic communication monitoring policies should be authorized. Having a policy in place protects...