Employer Surveillance

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Employer Surveillance

• By
• Valencia Darnell
• For
• CSC 540

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Can an Employer listen in on their Employees
telephone conversions?

• YES!!

3
Can an Employer monitor how long an Employees
computer has had no activity?

• YES!!

4
Can an Employer monitor an Employees web-base
email, such as hotmail or yahoo?

• Yes, as long as the employee checks it on a work
  computer.

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Why Can Employers Monitor Employees

• They own the computers, voicemail systems, phone
  lines, and office.
• When employees are hired, most of the time, the
  monitoring policy is in the paper work.

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• Surveillance The monitoring of a behavior.
• Employee Surveillance The monitoring of an
  employees behavior by a employer, mostly during
  working hours.

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Kinds of Employee Surveillance

• Internet Surveillance - where the employer
  monitors the internet.
• Desktop Surveillance where the employer
  monitors the computer.
• Telephone Surveillance where the employer
  monitors the phone.
• Video Surveillance where the employer monitors
  their employee by watching them.

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Internet Surveillance

• Email
• Web Sites
• Length of Time on the internet.

Desktop Surveillance

• What's on the Computer screen.
• Length of time away from the computer.

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Telephone Surveillance

• What numbers at called and how many times.
• Length of call.
• Voicemail.

Video Surveillance

• See where the employees go and what they do.

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Statistics as of 2005

• 76 monitored their employees internet usage.
• 89 of the 76 told their employees.
• 57 block access to certain phone numbers (900).
• 51 monitor time on the phone and to who the call
  was made.
• 19 tape certain employees phone conversions.

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Laws to govern Employee Surveillance.

• Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act
• California Bill in 2000
• H.R.582

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Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act

• Introduced in 1993 by Illinois Senator Paul
  Simon.
• It stopped undisclosed monitoring of locker
  rooms, dressing rooms, and restrooms, except when
  illegal conduct was suspected.
• Congress turned it down in 1993.

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California Bill in 2000

• Introduced in 2000.
• The California state legislature passed it in
  2000.
• It required that employers not be able to monitor
  the employee email, unless the employee was given
  advanced notice.
• Then California Governor Gray Davis vetoed the
  bill in late 2000.

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H.R.582

• Introduced February 2, 2005 by Thomas Petri.
• It will protect employees from having their
  employer monitoring them with video and/or audio
  for certain purposes.
• Was referred to the House of Representatives
  subcommittee in March of 2005.
• Has saw to action since.

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Pros

• Cuts down on stealing.
• Makes the employee feel safer.
• Keeps employees on task, so they get more work
  done, which will make the company more money.
• If a crime is committed, there is evidence.

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Cons

• Causes stress on the employees.
• Evasion of privacy.
• Negative effect on motivation.

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Since the company owns the equipment and
services, they have the right to know how they
are being used.
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References

• Wikipedia - www.wikipedia.com
• Shankland, Stephen. Study Web, e-mail
  monitoring spreads. 8 July 2001. 19 April 2007.
  lt http//news.com.com/2100-1001-269584.htmlgt
• Privacy Right Clearinghouse. Employee
  Monitoring Is There Privacy in the Workplace?.
  February 2006. 18 April 2007. lthttp//www.privacyr
  ights.org/fs/fs7-work.htmgt
• The Library of Congress. H.R.582. 2005. 19
  April 2007. http//thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/
  z?d109h.r.00582
• American Management Association. 2005 Electronic
  Monitoring Surveillance Survey Many Companies
  Monitoring, Recording, Videotapingand
  FiringEmployees 18 May 2005. 17 April 2007.
  http//www.amanet.org/press/amanews/ems05.htm
• Bryant, Lynn. What are the pros and cons of
  monitoring employees using video surveillance?
  12 October 2006. 20 April 2007.
• lthttp//www.video-surveillance-guide.com/monitorin
  g-employees-using-video-surveillance.htmgt