Effects Of Workplace Surveillance

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One major change that has occurred in current employment is an increased surveillance activity in workplace. This change has been shown clearly in a recent surveyed conducted by the American Management Association (AMA), which reveal a dramatic increase in employee’s internet connection from 60 % in 2001 to 66 % in 2007 (Sanders, Ross, and Pattison, 2013, p.2). This has raised more concerns among society, particularly trade union and human right activist. Despite the fact that this scrutiny might jeopardize work force social right, it could play an important role in controlling aspect as a part of management process in a business entity provided that it is applied appropriately. The Evil of Workplace Surveillance It is true that every business …show more content…

In other words, employer has responsibility to guarantee an employee right including privacy right as well as employee has responsibility to support the company to reach its goal as stated in agreed employment contract and policy. In this context, surveillance could play an important role to dismiss employee unproductive misbehaviour that can be harmful to company interest such as theft action. A recent research conducted by Pierce, et. al reveals that by continuous monitoring a restaurant could have raised its income by US $ 2,982 per week or about 7 per cent (Lohr, 2013). Likewise, Briggs vs American Air Filter Co, Inc, case describe that when an employee has indicated to disclosure a company secret, of course, a company has need to take some action for prevention including wiretap action accepted legally (Sanders, et.al, 2013, p. 11). It can be imagined that a prestigious company like Apple can collapse easily, if one of its employee reveals business’ top secret to other competitor, for instance, Samsung or …show more content…

Persson and Handson (2003) describes that the privacy core relates to the type of accest the most parties desire to full control. It means that this aspect must not be interfered and respected by other whether the claim exists or not (p. 62 – 63). In this context, the establishment of such an independent ethic council is possibly necessary to formulate the agreed core part of privacy. Prohibitation of surveillance in rest rooms and surrounding areas might be the best example, which it is common that all people including employee and employer agreed that both of them expect full privacy in that location. Except that task, this institution may have other tasks to prepare more technical procedure guidance and to etically examine the rationale of specific surveillance. The organization structure may consist of employer and trade union representatives. It is hoped that there will consequently be less subjectivity in privacy violation