unit 7,workplace privacy

Definition of Workplace Privacy

by Gregory Hamel

In companies of all sizes, employees and managers are likely to engage in communications and other activities that aren't directly related to their jobs. For instance, a worker might check his personal email at work or talk to a friend or family member on his work phone during his lunch hour. Workplace privacy describes the extent to which employers monitor and collect information on the activities, communications and private lives of workers.

Workplace Privacy Basics

Workers are often accustomed to personal privacy in their private lives, but employers aren't necessarily obligated to give workers privacy while they're on the job. Employers hire workers to perform specific tasks --- time that employees spend taking care of private matters may seem wasteful in the eyes of the employer, so employers may monitor employee activities to determine which workers are wasting time or are engaged in activities that may raise legal issues or security concerns.

Different employers have different workplace privacy policies and employee expectations. For instance, a certain employer might not allow workers to use social networking websites at work and may monitor Web activity to ensure that workers adhere to the rules, while another company might encourage social networking.

Monitoring Methods

Employers may monitor employee activities in a variety of ways, many of which are related to the use of computers. According to Bankrate, possible methods of employee monitoring include tracking Internet usage, archiving computer files, storing employee emails and instant messages, logging keystrokes, recording phone conversations, testing for drugs and maintaining video surveillance. Businesses may also track the use of key cards or use satellite technology that keeps track of the use of company property such as cars and phones.

Content Blocking

Employers that are worried about employees wasting time visiting inappropriate websites or making personal phone calls may attempt to block content. For example, a business might block all social networking sites or websites with adult content from its network, or it may block employees from calling certain phone numbers from their work phones. Content blocking may reduce unproductive behavior without an employer actually monitoring workers and impinging on their privacy.

Considerations

Employees should be aware of an employer's policies regarding personal activities at work and the use of technology for activities that aren't related to work. If you aren't sure whether a certain activity or website is sanctioned by your employer, avoid it

Acording to the web page of privacy rights clearinghouse; A majority of employers monitor their employees. They are motivated by concern over litigation and the increasing role that electronic evidence plays in lawsuits and government agency investigations. Almost everything you do on your office computer can be monitored. Such monitoring is virtually unregulated. Therefore, unless company policy specifically states otherwise (and even this is not assured), your employer may listen, watch and read most of your workplace communications. Courts often have found that when employees are using an employer's equipment, their expectation of privacy is limited.

Here is the link; you should read it! https://www.privacyrights.org/.../workplace-privacy-and-employe

Vocabulary

1. employees: it is very common for companies to monitor their employees at work.

2.employer: The employer evaluate their employees performance every month.

3. keep an eye on: A colleage keep an eye on your papers to evaluate the quality of your work.

4.surveillance: At work the bathroom area is kept under video surveillance.

5. safeguards: the union safeguards inerest is to protect employees privacy.

6. eavesdroping: monitoring can be performed by eavesdropping on communication.

7.legitimate: most employees are aware of legitimate surveillance that exist at work.

8. a log; my boss keeps a log of all website that the computer had registered when I was using it.

9. scope: we are going to widen the scope of privacy limits.

10. willy-nilly: the complete service deparment was supervised willy-nilly yesterday morning.

11. dignity; he is a man of dignity, but he does not has dignity at work.

12. demeaned: the entire department at work was demeaned by the supervisor.

13. driving: these constantly monitoring are driving employees to be crazy.

14. sinister: I do not wantany more control monitoring that comes to this sinister and corrupt institution.

15.deter:  the day before yesterday, there was an extremely inspection to deter irregularity at work.

16. racial slurs: Racial slurs are being use in some workplaces and many people are treats unfairly.