Employee Monitoring

Running head: EMPLOYEE MONITORING

Employee Monitoring

Employee Monitoring

Technological surveillance:

In addition to Internet and email monitoring, there are numerous other ways employers can observe the daily activities of their employees. Many employers are resorting to methods of supervision that enable them to monitor not only the quality of work by the employees, but also the quantity of work. Technological surveillance has become commonplace among today’s workforce, regardless of whether employees are even aware of the surveillance. Types of employee monitoring that are progressively on the rise include: auditory surveillance such as recording and reviewing telephone conversations and voice mail, and oral exchanges that are transmitted by means other than telephonic. Video and digital cameras, and global positioning satellites monitor visual and physical activities. With a remarkable decrease in cost and increase of accessibility, employers are finding it easier than even to keep a watchful eye on their employees. And as long as said activities are monitored in accordance to law, these types of observations are legal. The technology can however, make it very easy for those doing the monitoring to overstep the boundaries from business-related information to private information. This invasion of privacy is a growing concern among employees. "Electronic monitoring without informing employees that it is taking place is no different than spying. Monitoring is a supervisory tool, not a tool for employee surveillance (CSE, 2006)."

Employers have the right to record and review calls with clients or customers for quality control purposes, but are not supposed to record private calls. If the employer informs the employee that the calls will be recorded, then the recording of private calls is not considered unlawful. Otherwise, the employer must stop monitoring the call once it has been established that the call is personal. Employers can also restrict phones from dialing certain numbers, such as 900 numbers. Employers call also obtain a list of telephone numbers dialed, along with the length of each call. According to a Sixwise surveillance survey, 51 percent of employers monitored phone records (Sixwise, 2006). A similar number also taped and reviewed employee’s