EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
The Benefit of Adopting Comprehensive Standards of
Monitoring Employee
Technology Use in the Workplace
Author:
Karin Mika
Sources: Cornell HR Review
September 2014:1-7.
Purposes of the Article
The purposes of the article are to 1) examine problems that relate to
the privacy of employees personal lives as most actions are constantly
being monitored, 2) emphasize that most employer policies related to
examining the monitored communications are not very clear or
acceptable. The article addresses this topic from the perspective of
author Karin Mika.
Examining problems that relate to the privacy of employees personal lives
Issues arise when:
The actions that are being monitored do not happen during the
working hours.
The policy disallowing the use of company property for personal use
is not existent.
The employer receives information through indirect methods, such
as viewing private information and then calling action about it.
The employer receives information which was intended to be
private, occurred in the past but is still obtainable through a search.
Emphasizing that policies regarding monitoring communications are ambiguous
The laws are very ambiguous with regard to how and the extent of how
much employers can monitor the staffs communication. These rules
may somehow conflict with federal or state rules, depending on the
situation.
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (1968)- focused on preventing the
government from recording or listening in on the conversations of private citizen.
Electronic Communications Act (1986) - Made it illegal for other people, including
employers, to record or listen in on conversations.
Under these acts, it is against the law to intercept any electronic communication. As
exceptions we made for employers, the interpretation of what an interception actually is,
has made it difficult to apply this.
Conclusion

Employers need to come up with better techniques to monitor the

balance between their interests and the personal interests of the staff
and clearer guidelines need to be enforced.