Xcom/285 Privacy Laws and Policies Debate Essay Example
Privacy Laws and Policies Debate
XCOM/285
May 15, 2011
I will be defending communication privacy laws and policies in the workplace, I believe the importance of having company policies for privacy laws in the workplace are for the safety of the employees as well as the company. There are only a few exceptions to the law in regards to a company monitoring their employee’s use of Internet or phone usage while on company time. One of these exceptions is called the “ordinary course of business”, it is stated that under this exception “the employer may monitor employee communications to ensure such legitimate business objectives as assuring quality control”(Nord, G.D., McCubbins, T., Horn Norn, J.; August 2006/Vol. 49, no.8). I believe what this is saying is that companies will have the right to monitor their employees as long as they have just cause to suspect the employee is not abiding by the company policy on private internet and phone call usage. There is a law called the “Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986”, it is stating “Congress extended laws relating to wiretapping to electronic communications such as email and Internet use” (Springer, 2007). I recall hearing about this in the news, What I believe they were doing was allowing companies a certain amount of rights to protect themselves, yet still allowing the employee rights also. In other words, if an employer feels an employee is misusing his or her company provided computer or email account, the company would have the right within limits to monitor such usage for the protection of the company, however, the company is not allowed to enter an employees personal email account or listen in on any private phone calls. I can stand behind this law as long as the company still has the right to monitor an employee that the company feels may be abusing the privilege given them.
References
E-Monitoring in the Workplace: PRIVACY, LEGISLATION, AND SURVEILLANCE SOFTWARE. (2006).
XCOM/285
May 15, 2011
I will be defending communication privacy laws and policies in the workplace, I believe the importance of having company policies for privacy laws in the workplace are for the safety of the employees as well as the company. There are only a few exceptions to the law in regards to a company monitoring their employee’s use of Internet or phone usage while on company time. One of these exceptions is called the “ordinary course of business”, it is stated that under this exception “the employer may monitor employee communications to ensure such legitimate business objectives as assuring quality control”(Nord, G.D., McCubbins, T., Horn Norn, J.; August 2006/Vol. 49, no.8). I believe what this is saying is that companies will have the right to monitor their employees as long as they have just cause to suspect the employee is not abiding by the company policy on private internet and phone call usage. There is a law called the “Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986”, it is stating “Congress extended laws relating to wiretapping to electronic communications such as email and Internet use” (Springer, 2007). I recall hearing about this in the news, What I believe they were doing was allowing companies a certain amount of rights to protect themselves, yet still allowing the employee rights also. In other words, if an employer feels an employee is misusing his or her company provided computer or email account, the company would have the right within limits to monitor such usage for the protection of the company, however, the company is not allowed to enter an employees personal email account or listen in on any private phone calls. I can stand behind this law as long as the company still has the right to monitor an employee that the company feels may be abusing the privilege given them.
References
E-Monitoring in the Workplace: PRIVACY, LEGISLATION, AND SURVEILLANCE SOFTWARE. (2006).