The growth of technology has actually made companies more attentive towards the privacy of their employees, as digital communication media will make it easier for individuals to steal company data. It can also be a way for workers to spread negative rumours that could threaten the bottom line of the business. But what does the legislation say about surveillance and privacy for employees?
According to a recent study, it is found that in order to protect their company and increase efficiency, workplace surveillance has become an essential practice for employers. Nearly half of the business leaders in the survey said they track the emails sent and received by employees, as well as their keystroke logs.
The Main Problem Arises From Employee Monitoring!
Although diving and recording the activity and behaviour of employees is not illegal, the monitoring procedure remains controversial and becomes subject to a grey area. Well, this offers a new notice to work performance and morality.
Employees want independence and less surveillance. And even most of the companies condemn workplace monitoring practices. As employee surveillance can be seen as violating the privacy of the employees if carried out unrelentingly. It can, therefore, cause work-related tension, decrease job satisfaction, quality of work-life, and lower levels of customer service & morale.
So, instead of tracking employees work, it's better to understand the law and employee monitoring ethics first.
What Are Employee Monitoring Ethics?
Before we dive into the ethics and laws of employee monitoring, it is vital to elaborate quickly on what actually ethics are! Ethics can be defined as "a collection of principles & values that direct us to decide what behaviour benefits or harms sentient beings"!
Basically, there are two common modes of ethical consideration, teleology, and deontology, when persons, organizations, or society decide how to behave in a given situation. Both of which are crucial to consider when it comes to a subject such as the supervision of employees or to do proper workforce management.
Employee Monitoring And Ethical Consideration
Do the ends prove the means? This line is popular when security problems occur in organizations but some organizations may find themselves in trouble by not challenging the means of execution, tracking policy, effects, or even legal violations. So, it is vital to understand why you try to do so before rushing to track your employees. Is this to counter risks from insiders? Safeguard vital assets? Or to know how well your employees are working? Well, it is really very crucial to understand why monitoring is needed, and also you need to explain the same to your employees as well, to maintain trust and transparency.
Employee Monitoring: Outcomes And Motives
Should any business not monitor what happens on its network & trust that employees are always doing what they have been assigned with? Is it legal to monitor employees' computers? Not sure, but see businesses have a responsibility to build a safe work environment for the employees. If, for instance, an employee frequently watches graphic or politically charged material at his workstation, it creates a hostile work atmosphere that violates U.S. labour discrimination laws. A business will await a visit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC) by not controlling that activity.
Another scenario is a data breach. If a company does not adequately track all data and communications coming through its network, then hackers & malicious employees alike become an attractive target. In addition, a data breach that has not been sufficiently secured against could cause a confidence crisis for any future company clients or customers.
Is Employee Monitoring Ethical? How?
Security must be practical by its nature, implying that the "results justify the means," which in this case is to protect not only the corporation but the reputation of any employee and stakeholder involved in the organization. At the cost of privacy when on the company network, it is easy to rally around safety and protection. Without support and engagement from stakeholders, security fails. And this is where the continuity requirement of the ethical approach to ethics fits well with the practical approach.
Also watch: Manage Remote Work Easily With Powerful Monitoring Software: EmpMonitor(EmpMonitor AV Ad)
Conclusion
Now, I know that the ethics of employee monitoring can sound very reasonable and easy to follow on paper, but it's only a matter of time before you learn how to execute it. At some points, you can get stuck. Here's why you really should worry. Anyways, the above-stated points can help you a lot to not only maintain a good workflow in the company but along with keeping in mind the importance of employee monitoring ethics as well.
