Employee Monitering

Employee Monitoring

Employee monitoring evolves 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 computer programs exist that easily allow companies to monitor employees. Further, it is legal for companies to use these programs.

A frequently debated question is whether an employer has the right to read employee e-mail massages. Actual policies vary widely. Some companies declare that they will review e-mail massages regularly; others state that e-mail messages are private. If a company does not have a formal e-mail policy, it can read email messages without employee notification. One recent survey discovered that more that 73 percent of companies search and/or read employee files, voice mails, e-mail messages, Web connections, and other networking communications. Another claimed that 25 percent of companies have fired employees for misusing communication technology.

Currently, no privacy laws exist relating to employee e-mail (Privacy Laws and Personal Data). The 1986 Electric Communications Privacy Act provides the same right. Of privacy protection that covers the