Privacy in the Workplace
The importance of privacy has risen over the years and its handling has become extremely crucial lately. Defaulting organisations have been faced with serious legal actions and thus, companies have taken a higher interest in the conversations of their workforce. However, this effort of the employer aimed at monitoring the activities of workers isn’t as smooth as it should be due to the right of the employee to personal privacy.
The right of the workers to workplace privacy has caused several court cases recently, mostly due to the digital revolution of business communication i.e. emails, memos etc. Technological developments have made it possible for all form of digital communication as well as Internet use in the workplace to be placed under surveillance. Although employees have their reservations about this, the employers are protected by the law. However, other actions of the workers like confidential discussions and their private spaces at their offices are given higher privacy allowances. Nonetheless, actions like substance use when detected could lead to addiction tests (Smith & Burg, 2012).
When queries are made over employee workplace privacy rights, it could be very helpful to begin investigating the claims by attempting to answer the question: What really happened? This question is important in order to understand the rights concerned and the precise technology involved in the query. In some cases, general workers might have separate privacy regulations from the isolated workers or the company could be disinterested in the privacy of the workers. In other cases, the company could take the issue of privacy seriously and implement measures like passwords, information classes and even electronic lockboxes.
Furthermore, it is crucial to note that regulations guarding employee privacy are far behind many of the technological advances that are gradually being inducted into the workplace and the present laws often stay out of cases involving electronic privacy. The rapid evolvement of technology has caused several judges to avoid questions over the future of laws in this area. Due to these problems, individual workplace privacy issues have to be thoroughly assessed (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Technology and the Workplace
It has become quite rampant for employees to misuse the available workplace technological facilities. Despite the warnings of the employers, reading news dailies, online shopping and even improper emailing at work still remain the order of the day. Lots of these erring employees erroneously believe their employers are oblivious to their actions.
It has been proved that over a third of medium and large scale organizations keep their workers’ email and web actions under surveillance. Equally, about 57% of workers believe employers are right by monitoring their workplace communication (Muhl, 2003). Despite obvious worries about this development, surveillance software sales rose from $139 million in 2001 to about $662 million within 5 years. The basis for this are: risk of litigation (68%), security worries (60%), and employee efficiency reasons (45%)(Cox, Goette, & Young, 2005).
Top company personnel and tech experts often have problems with the simplicity and the speed of information transfer. Email, for instance, does not have the features of previous modes of communication like letters and phone calls. This freedom cause less importance to be placed on the content and could lead to private or insulting information being sent. Equally, people should consider the risk of the message being intercepted or diverted which could have dire consequences for the company as well as the workforce (Cox, Goette, & Young, 2005).
Right of Privacy
Government employees might be protected by the constitutional arrangement concerning privacy in the Fourth Amendment, but its level of influence doesn’t include private employers and how they relate to their workers. Despite this, there are certain legal provisions for privacy issues e.g. the law against invasion of privacy. For both laws, specifying if the expectations of the employee meet certain standards is the desired objective. Due to the various types of workplaces, each reported privacy issue should be treated based on the nature of the workplace. Things to consider are how long existing spaces and technology has been in use, how well they have been used and how personal effects and knowledge are stored as directed by the employer. Equally, the presence of relevant policy guarding this issue is also considered (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Employer’s Policies
Clearly defined policies about employee privacy help quash any sort of personal privacy expectations concerning technology use as it would be foolhardy to continue to trust certain privacy provisions after appropriate information has been passed across to that effect. Factors to take into account include if the company prohibits improper use of the computing and email facilities, if outsiders are permitted to make use of the computers and emails as well as if the company informed the worker about these rules.
It is also advisable for the company to install pop-up alerts that appears on turning on the computer or when emails are read which clearly informs the worker of his responsibility to remain alert. All these provisions make up for a worker’s expected privacy systems. However, any company that doesn’t have these provisions in place could realise that the workers believe there are certain levels of privacy installed. For instance, a company which enacts a law which states that “communications on the company e-mail systems are not private or secure” but still allows a worker use the email facility for individual reasons and preventing others from enjoying similar privileges could cause the employee to expect his work would be confidential despite the law. This occurrence could occur in a privacy-conscious or privacy-relaxed situation (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Trends for the Future
The judiciary has been hesitant about developing a novel way of tackling workforce privacy in relation to technological advances as they fear that any moves could backfire in the future considering the invention of new gadgets and other yet-to-be-discovered innovations. For example, recently, the Supreme Court could have enacted a new framework for examining workforce privacy corresponding to mobile messaging, but the Court evaded the promulgation of any new decree and instead judged the issue based on the old privacy regulations (Smith & Burg, 2012).
It is expected in many quarters that there would be a rise in the number of cases of worker misconduct for offences such as adversely posting about a manager or organization on Facebook. Thus, lots of people are optimistic about the promulgation of new regulations for judging and examining how much restriction a worker is subjected to on social network sites (Cox, Goette, & Young, 2005).
However, in the meantime, issues related to employee rights concerning technological inventions would most likely be subject to the general laws guiding privacy. It is essential for the employees to have read the company policies, guidelines and codes of conduct concerning any technological device as this would be the first point of call for the courts (Cox, Goette, & Young, 2005). The courts have advised employees to allow their workers enjoy a particular level of privacy, especially concerning individual emails and social network account details even if these sites are visited using a company’s computer which automatically saves passwords. Employees should endeavour to separate their individual and work emails and other forms of technology devices. Equally the employer should take pain to make the employee understand why they have the right to put their emails and text messages under surveillance. One of the employer’s major duties is to keep the office and the systems-in-use safe and in good working condition. In some cases, certain laws like the one against office harassment specifically necessittes this surveillance. In most cases, the courts would uphold this surveillance action if the employer’s actions are rational (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Steps should also be taken to identify solutions from the legislative arm. A number of U.S. senators have scrutinized employer’s behaviour towards privacy and deliberated if new laws are needed. At least one of the legislative houses is contemplating a law which shields workers from irrational requests like social media passwords (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Conclusion
It is quite rational to say that employees should be allowed a certain amount of privacy in the workplace and that employers should be restricted from reading confidential emails. Office computers should have a system that separate personal and office emails to reduce mix-ups or state beforehand that all emails will be under surveillance. Due to the associated risks, such as litigations and reduced efficiency, companies must be strict with their policies and conduct proper surveillance of how their systems are used, ensuring everything is clear to all. Business executives and tech experts should make moves to reduce undesirable effects on their business. Offices where the level of monitoring is high could face a unique set of problems due to lack of trust. Information gathered from surveillance could be mismanaged in ways that could affect the organization adversely (Cox, Goette, & Young, 2005).
This remains a grey area in the law even till date hence it is advisable for the worker to effectively separate personal and official technology use so as to enjoy whatever privacy allowances are available. Any sensitive piece of information that isn’t sure to be kept confidential should not be risked, but kept away from the public (Smith & Burg, 2012).
Bibliography
Cox, S., Goette, T., & Young, D. (2005). Workplace Surveillance and Employee Privacy: Implementing an Effective Computer Use Policy. Communications of the IIMA.
Muhl, C., (2003). Workplace e-mail and Internet use; employees and employers beware. Monthly Labor Review. 2, 36-45.
Smith, D., & Burg, J. (2012). What Are the Limits of Employee Privacy? Retrieved from GP Solo: http://www.americanbar.org/publications/gp_solo/2012/november_december2012privacyandconfidentiality/what_are_limits_employee_privacy.html
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
