Legal and Ethical Aspects of Workplace Monitoring of Employees (Essay Sample)

Name Professor Course Date   Legal and Ethical Aspects of Workplace Monitoring of Employees Organizations today widely practice employee surveillance because many employers strive to raise performance standards and protect organizational assets. Legally, there are limits that employers are allowed to place on their employees through surveillance so long as they adhere to the federal and state legal requirements. Although there is a legal right that provides workplace monitoring, there ought to be established ethical means that employers can use to monitor employees’ activities without invading their privacy. Ethically, monitoring at the workplace is highly questionable. Constant monitoring of employees wrecks their privacy, lowering morale and trust with the employer. As pointed out by McParland and Connolly, ethical monitoring should be done in a way that the employer gets oversight, and at the same time, employees’ privacy is also recognized (108). There is a need for transparency such that employers must explain the degree and aim of monitoring to employees. Furthermore, the collected information should only be used for the specified objectives and should be managed with confidentiality. Legally, employers are within their rights to monitor their subordinates up to a legal point in compliance with the federation and the state laws. However, employers must guarantee that monitoring practices do not discriminate against or unfairly sanction workers. The Private Employees’ Right to Privacy Act of 1986, widely known as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), permits employers to monitor workplace communication of a business nature but mandates them to provide the employees with prior notice ((Tzioumakas 28). In summary, workplace monitoring is legal and could b...