Discussion Question: Do managers have the right to monitor the e-mail messages of employees?

Post from torres:

Technology is constantly advancing and changing in the way we conduct business and communicate with one another. This new technology improves our way of life not just at home, but work as well. However, when this tool is abused during work, it could get some employees in trouble and at time even fired. Not all individuals think that e-mailing personal e-mile is wrong. According to Cathy Cooper, David Smith, Assistant Data Protection Commissioner, stated that, “Just because you have got consent does not necessarily make it fair”(pages 16-17). Employees still have rights in the work place if there are problems at work relating to company policy. Employers need to address to all their staff with what is unacceptable and acceptable before invading the privacy of employees. In my opinion e-mailing from work is wrong and unethical. According to AOL (2005), a survey they conducted found that e-mail users spend an average of one hour a day e-mailing nonrelated work e-mails and 77% have more than one e-mail. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with management monitoring employees’ usage of e-mail. After all, employers do pay us to conduct business for them and not to handle our personal life on their time.

Response needed:

Post from Deb :

Depending on the business and category it falls into; if a Company is large or

small but, is in the market and industry of advertisement, social media, working

internationally, a global outfit, or affiliated with government, than, it would be

appropriate for management to be concern with what individual employees are

writing and corresponding about. When it is a requirement for employees to

communicate by emails then a disclosure of some concern of what to avoid in

writing and sending out emails, should be conveyed to employees stating that at

the managements discretion they can review employees emails and reprimand

if necessary and if management finds in appropriate emails being typed  up and

or sent out that is not business related and offensive in any way to other

employees or businesses, the company needs signatures of both management

and employee(s) that they fully are aware of this and understand what this

document reads and addresses and  Human Resources  should be a witness to

this and copies are given to employee and kept in employees file.  Another

precaution technique should be training either in a conference setting or on-line

training so that the message is a bit clearer to management and employees of

what is expected on emails transactions inside the company and outside. 

These steps should avoid any legal issues for the business and the employee.

Response needed: