INTRODUCTION/PROBLEM STATEMENT
When you’re web-surfing on the internet or send an email at work, do you expect privacy? Most people already know their employers can monitor computer usage, but how much and what can they monitor. The computer is the company’s window into your work progress. Corporate privacy laws in the United States (US) are relatively weak, and employers are using this to their advantage. They compel employees to sign policies that allow online surveillance at work. Relaxing company computer/ information technology policies will increase work productivity and morale. The Reynolds’ Seven-Step Ethical Decision-Making approach will be used in the article and looks into what are the concerns of monitoring employee computer usage? What policies are employers implementing, and should this be authorized or not?
GET THE FACTS
The first step in the Reynolds’s approach is to gather the facts. Employers own the data network, and the terminals. This allows them to monitor employee computer usage. Typically, companies use software to view
…show more content…
The fourth amendment provides protection from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government only, so it doesn’t apply to private enterprises. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) passed in 1986, included constitutions and statutes, and common law remedies for invasion of privacy. It is considered out of date since the inception of the internet. Technology has changed and the U.S government will need to start taking measures to update digital laws to preserve the privacy of citizens’ chats, emails, texts, and smartphone records. Specific contracts or collective bargaining agreements will limit the monitoring of employees, but both practical and legal difficulties exist that make this difficult (Intro: Privacy,