...Electronic Surveillance of Employees John Burnett Professor Dorothy Sliben Legal 500 Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance Strayer University October --,2011 Introduction I am rather pleased that I was able to successfully complete assignment I, Electronic Surveillance of Employees paper which highlights the overall pros and cons as they relate to the privacy of an organization's most integral commodity, the employee. The work surveillance is closely scrutinized by both the employee's and employer's perspective; the most employee assert that they should be entitled to privacy within the workplace while the employer offers the statement that they are indeed allowed to monitor all activities as they relate to the employee during the course of the workday while on the organizations premises; unfortunately the employer as it relates to the perspective tends to ring true. Now that we are all more cognizant of surveillance from both the employee as well as employer perspectives, we are now prepared to present our findings in a most effective manner. It is indeed an organization's desire to meet both their short and long term goals of ultimately surpassing existing performance and productivity standards while not compromising business operations along the way. Results of Findings Input 1. Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. The area where an employee can...
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...Running head: ELETRONIC SURVEILLANCE OF EMPLOYEES Electronic Surveillance of Employees Lorrie Bass Strayer University Assignment # 1 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course LEG500: Law and Ethics in the Corporate Lateefah Muhammad Fall 2011 Contents Lorrie Bass 3 Date: January 12, 2012 3 Abstract 4 Discussion 1 Explain where an employee can reasonably exspect to have privacy in the work place…………..4 Answer 5 Discussion 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 In the office there is typically two types of workspaces, an open area, in which there are several desks and he conversations can be overheard, or an enclosed office, in which-when the door is closed-conversations cannot be heard and where one would exspect virtually total privacy. Explain whether it makes a difference if an employee ia an open area or in an enclosed office. 5 Answer 5 Discussion 3 6 Explain if Herman’s need to know whether his sales person are honest is a sufficient ground for utilizing electronic surveillance 6 Answer 6 Discussion 4 7 Explian to what extent an emlpoyer can engage in electronic surveillance of an employee 7 Answer 7 Discussion 5……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Explain to what the inclusion innocent, unaware third parties in such surveillance determine whether it is legal……………………………………………………………………………………8 Answer……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 ...
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...Electronic Surveillance of Employees Purvil Patel Professor Pearlie Bush Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance – LEG 500 April 24, 2011 Throughout this paper I will be illustration many questions around “Electronic Surveillance of Employees”. I will discuss the video and explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace, whether or not if it makes a difference if an employee is in an open area workspace or an enclosed office space, explain if Herman’s need to know whether his salespersons are honest is a sufficient ground for utilizing electronic surveillance, to what extent an employer can engage in electronic surveillance of employees and at last explain to what extent the inclusion of innocent, unaware third-parties is such surveillance determine whether it is legal. In the video the manager is electronically listening in on his sales team and confronts a salesman who is making humorous false statements to a customer in order to close a deal. The manager confronts the salesman who justifies his actions by stating it was a joke. The manager enforces him to provide the customer will the correct information and documents. Another saleslady realizes what is going on and confronts the manager and says she is leaving to protect her right of privacy. The video is a little extreme but gets the point across, is electronic surveillance of employees the lawful and ethical thing to do. This is a sales job so the manager can justify the electronic...
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...Electronic Surveillance of Employees Angela Hockaday Strayer University Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance LEG 500 Professor Anne Dewey-Balzhiser October 23, 2011 Abstract This paper will explore Electronic Surveillance of Employees. First, we will discuss and explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. Secondly, we will review information regarding in the office workplace there are typically two types of workspaces, an open area, in which there are several desks and where conversations can be overheard, or an enclosed office, in which-when the door is closed-conversations cannot be heard and where one would expect virtually total privacy. Explain whether it makes a difference if an employee is in an open area or in an enclosed office. Thirdly, we review the video and analyze Herman’s need to know whether his salespersons are honest is a sufficient ground for utilizing electronic surveillance. Next take a look into and try to explain to what extent an employer can engage in electronic surveillance of employees. Finally, we explain to what extent the inclusion of innocent, unaware third-parties in such surveillance determine whether it is legal. Electronic Surveillance of Employees Electronic surveillance of employees, whether employers have an interest in being able to monitor their employees while at work, or knowing how their employees are in their personal lives, Frederick Taylor invented such an approach in the 1880s...
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...Electronic Surveillance of Employees Turrochelle McEachern Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance/ LEG 500 1/23/2011 Professor Eric Baime Electronic Surveillance of Employees Today, technology has increased that it enables us to connect with more people on a broader basis and in quicker ways. Organizations today are faced with the liability of their employees using technology for their own personal gain and thus issues related to workplace privacy. Organizations are coming up with ways and ideas to make sure their employees are being productive and not just goofing off by closely monitoring all types of communication. We will analyze Fade-In-Interior Auto Dealership and the boss’s decision to use surveillance on his employees. In this paper we will discuss where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace, secondly whether or not it makes a difference if an employee is in an open area or in an enclosed office setting. Thirdly, we will explain if Herman’s, the boss at Fade-In-Interior Auto Dealership, need to know whether his salespersons are honest is sufficient grounds for utilizing electronic surveillance. Fourthly, we will explain to what extent an employer can engage in electronic surveillance of employees. In conclusion, we will explain to what extent the inclusion of innocent, unaware third-parties in such surveillance determine whether it is legal. Explain where and employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace...
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...Assignment #1 – Electronic Surveillance of Employees DJhonna M. Jones Legal 500 January 28, 2012 Professor Lisa Armonda, J.D. Abstract: This paper is a look at the Video “Electronic Surveillance of Employees”. It will cover where employees can reasonable expect to have privacy, open and enclosed area effects on employees. It will also cover Mr. Herman’s information needs, employer electronic surveillance of employee’s extent, and unaware third party usage in surveillance. Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. In general workplaces can be divided into two types. The first type is the closed office space. When doors are closed in this type, there is virtually complete privacy for conversations taking place within the enclosed space. Its direct opposite of an enclosed office space, an open office space is a series of desks within an open area separated at most by various pieces of furniture and petitions. Due to the recent trend of litigation resulting from the use of surveillance in the work place, electronic surveillance has taken a larger spot in law than ever before. Most employees use the computers at their jobs to do private things such as send personal email or make an online purchase. Most are convinced that these little slips in the workplace go unnoticed by their employers and feel that their actions remain something private that only then know of. However...
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...ASSIGNMENT 1: ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE OF EMPLOYEES DATE: APRIL 18, 2011 Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. In accordance with the U.S. Constitution, the right to privacy for employees was granted under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and the Fourteenth Amendment. Specifically, the Fourth Amendment guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, hours, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures of a person or his or her belongings, without first showing probable cause, strong suspicions that a crime was committed, and obtaining an explicit warrant granting permission to conduct a search or seizure. (www.EmployeeIssues.com). It also provides protection for the “reasonable expectations of privacy” of both individual and corporate citizens against unwarranted and unreasonable government searches or seizures. Specific labor laws, regulations and certain rules are automatically granted to employees. Employers have the responsibility to protects privacy interest by avoiding the disclosure of personal matters. The laws that provide/create the right to privacy in employee personnel records, the use and maintenance of employee social security number, employee medical information, and background screenings. Government employees’ rights to privacy are limited and will be evaluated in accordance with a balancing test in which a Judge must decide which counts ore weightily, and employee’s...
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...Abstract In this paper, I will analyze a video that addressed the issues of electronic surveillance of employees. I will explain if workers can reasonably get privacy in the workplace, the difference between an open and enclosed office area, if Herman’s need for electronic surveillance is a sufficient reason, how an employee can engage in electronic surveillance, and finally explain to what extent the inclusion of innocent, unaware third parties in such surveillance is legal. In the conclusion I will explain how important these five questions are, why it is important to understand these questions and finally how it is important to understand and answer the questions so we can be clear about the issue. Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. There are not a lot of places employees can go to have privacy, unless they are leaving the workplace doing their lunch hour and going somewhere to be alone. Privacy for employees is hard when you are working in a public environment. In the video Electronic Surveillance of Employees, Herman is the boss at a car dealership and he has an enclosed office. He can close his door whenever he needs some privacy. The other two employees, Tony and Shelly, have a cubical and are in an open workspace. Pursing this further, managers in a fast food restaurant work closely with their employees. During the rush hours, which normally occur from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, managers are working closely...
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...Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace? Employees can reasonably expect to have privacy in two areas of an organization, the restroom and break room. If an organization were to install recording devices in the either place this would violate employee’s reasonable expectation of privacy. According to the Fourth Amendment, U.S. Constitution “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, house, paper and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2010, pg. 89). Human beings need and expect a degree of privacy to thrive. If individuals were not afforded this necessity, the work place becomes unproductive. Companies tangle with this issue, but understand privacy is needed. If an organization were to install cameras in the break room, this would appear to be very strange to its employees. This action raises the question, why monitor your employees during time periods where they are not being paid and not performing organizational duties? Furthermore, if an organization were to do this they would need reasonable grounds for taking such actions. This information would need to be given to employees during orientation before they accept employment. In the office workplace there are typically two types of workspaces, an open area, in which there are several desks and where conversations can be overheard, or an enclosed office, in which- when the door is closed-conversations cannot...
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...a new dimension; for instance, advancing technology. This has resulted in some ethical issues in workplaces such as cyberloafing, privacy, information technology usage, employee monitoring. Also, legal issues in workplaces such as lawsuits have emerged. Both employers and employees are worried about the ethical consequences resulting from the ethical issues While bosses use surveillance devices to keep track of their workers' activities and output, these workers feel that excessive monitoring is an attack on their confidentiality and privacy. The strategy of checking workers on a timely basis is contributed by the fact that bosses have rights over everything in the “at-will employment environment.” Additionally, this paper provides a proposal for reducing the ethical and legal issues. The paper also encourages organizations to generate and efficiently communicate ethical standards for workers in their companies. It also includes real examples of workers' perceptions as well as an emotional state from the surveys based on ethical and legal issues raised regarding the topic of study. Keywords: At-will employment, employee monitoring, Ethical and legal issues. Introduction At- will means employment can be terminated at any time, for any reason or no reason without facing legal action. Likewise, an employee can quit a job with or without a prior reason at any time with no legal action against him or her. Also, At-will means, employment relationship terms including, altering...
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...Jay Carter Business Ethics Business Law Ethics are something that we in some way or another and especially as working adults have either faced or will face at one point in our lives. When dealing with ethics it comes down to the choices and decisions that people and organizations make that affect others. Now whether it’s for personal gain or to move a corporation along its solely dependent on the circumstance. For example usually when you hear about unethical practices you hear about issues in the work place. These issues can range from employees lacking decent health insurance to not getting their annual raises due to some foreseeable background issue within the company that was orchestrated by the executive level management to keep their bonus. Although you may say this is not illegal. There is still the question of whether it’s ethical or not. There are a lot of different types of this. Business abuse and theft in the work place is an ethical issue that a lot of employees have to deal with and employers fail to address. A lot of individuals that work feel as if they aren’t paid enough for what they do. In other words they feel under appreciated. This feeling of underapreciation in the workplace can cause a lot of problems especially when dealing with employees and employers who lack the integrity to do what’s right. For example, a lot of employees that feel that they are not compensated enough tend to slack...
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...Electronic Surveillance of Employees Law, Ethics & Corporate Governance October 23, 2011 1. Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" (U.S. Const., amend. IV.1), however, the Fourth Amendment applies only to government actions, not to actions of private employers. As a result government employees may appear to have a fairly stronger claim for protection against electronic monitoring and surveillance than private sector employees. Thus in the U.S., workers in the workplace, except occasionally in restrooms and employee locker rooms, are not normally protected from surveillance on the grounds that the premises and equipment are possessions of the employer and the employee can have no reasonable expectation of intimacy or protection from employer intrusion. The employee, in the employment-at-will setting, has completely consented to the employer's right to monitor the employee closely "for any reason, no reason, or even reason morally” wrong to lose their job. Employees normally have no expectation of privacy in public or in the workplace. Most courts are employing narrow reasoning when discussing reasonable expectation of privacy on e-mail, using “voluntariness” of e-mail communications and property-based notions of ownership of computer systems...
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...relations nightmare, a company with a good reputation can crumble, and that can lead to a loss of major business. It is important that companies can trust each other enough to be able to make large business deals together. It is also important that customers trust a company in order to make purchases from it. If customers feel that their money is going to be used for an unethical cause, they may choose to do business with another company. One often overlooked aspect of trust in a business setting is how much employers trust their employees and vice versa. This paper focuses on two companies (Walmart and Hewlett Packard) that have taken a major public relations hit recently. We will describe the events that caused these major hits and steps that the companies could have taken to prevent them and their responses to the incidents. Walmart Walmart has been one of the most successful companies in recent history. According to cnnmoney.com, they have ranked as one of the top 2 companies in the Fortune 500 since 2007 (Fotune 500, 2011). Walmart has over 2 million employees and is the second largest employer in the world. In the next five years it is estimated that they will add 500,000 more employees (Gardner, 2011). Former Senior Vice President of Walmart, Ron Loveless gives ten reasons why Walmart has been so successful. He credits leadership, communication, corporate structure and ethics, among other things as the reasons for success. He says, “The effort to be an "ethical" company was...
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...increase among employers to monitor the actions and performance of their employees. This is due to worries about; quality of work, productivity employee theft or misuse of company property One of the main ethical issues of the workplace is employee privacy and surveillance. Argument raised is: is it ethical to monitor employees whilst they are in the workplace? Is there privacy for employees and should employees expect Privacy at workplace? Technology has offered various options to help people maintain privacy depending on their situation. At the same time, technology has made it almost impossible for anyone to have privacy. There are devices and programs that can help you get privacy but they can also be used to invade it. Modern society has too many incidences and events that include invasion of privacy, including on national and international levels. Is it possible to ever maintain a level of privacy when you are on the computer, your cellphone, or even in your own home due to technology advancements? In this writing the prominent examples of surveillance at work that I would like to discuss about are surveillance cameras and internet surveillance. Since this topic is based around privacy in the workplace, "privacy" is a key term to be explored. I will analyze the definition of “Privacy” term as well as the reality of using Surveillance today to illustrate for my opinion on this...
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...promote employee retention, support credibility, and avoid legal issues. Annotated Bibliography Awadh, A. M. (2013). Impact of Organizational Culture on Employee Performance. International Review of Management and Business Research, 2(1). Retrieved from www.irmbrjournal.com The article focuses on how the organization's values affect productivity, profit, and how profit and productivity affect the organization's value. Explaining how important communicating a set of ethics, understood by employees, to strengthen the organization itself. Steered toward Managers, Consultants, Directors, Trainers, HR Managers,...
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