ELECTRONIC SURVEILLIANCE

Electronic Surveillance of Employee



Abstract

Today, technology enables employer to monitor every move of employees, that's why employees usually have concerns regarding their privacy at work place. There have been several reasons suggested for electronic surveillance. One suggestion is the simple fact that the technological possibility exists, new technology makes it easy to use and relatively inexpensive to install so that those with the desire, can indulge it more easily than ever before. In every field of life, anything gives utmost benefit when it is done with balance and proportionality, so how do we balance surveillance technologies with the protection of privacy. For the benefit of society and other peoples in the work place employers have a right to conduct surveillance at work place. They use electronic surveillance system for purposes of detection of fraud and crimes, the prevention of criminality, and for better the implementation of policies and procedures of organization. In addition to this electronic surveillance system helps in assessment of employee. By surveillance, employer can monitor email, computer use and internet use of employees, which helps in preventing employees from using such technologies to harass other employees or access forbidden websites. But the concern for employees is that by doing such surveillance employer can invade in their privacy. There are laws for that problem, but there is also room for an employer by which he can get around those laws.

Electronics Surveillance of Employee

Where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace?

There are several places in the work place where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. The rise of electronic surveillance in the workplace has made it fertile ground for claiming an invasion of privacy. However, most non-organized private-sector employees would likely be alarmed to learn that there is no legal basis upon which an invasion of privacy may be claimed (Baumhart, 2002, 47). In fact, the current privacy framework is inadequate to protect employees privacy interests increasingly being eroded by technology-enhanced surveillance from which vast amounts of personal information are collected, personal information ranging from data to images. The convergence of surveillance and information widens the privacy gap in protection and increases the need for privacy issues in the employment context to be addressed. There are different places where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. These places are cafeteria, washroom, ladies dressing room, and a traditional lounge. These are the places where an employee prefers privacy because, at such places, an employee prefers to discuss personal or we can say personal issues.

Normally, when any person starts his career in any profession, he would immediately not get all the facilities that are provided at the Managerial level. It will take time before coming to Managerial Level. An employee would need to work very hard before coming to Managerial Level. This is because, time is not the only factor for promotion, but personal efforts and dedication of an employee even counts a ...