...Midterm Conducting personal Business on Company Time Business 323 Professor Christine M. Seymour 26 March, 2013 With increasingly demanding jobs and workloads increasing in quantity, add to that a limited time in employees’ schedules, a lot of personal business and personal errands are now being run from the comfort of the office during company time. This is an observation that has been made by both employer and worker and has been embraced to some extent, though other employers have decided to punish the culprits perpetrating the development. In this exposition, the causes and in general, the above topic as a whole will be expounded. The workplace has become so hectic these days that workers find it hard to lift their fingers off their work stations and work areas. It has become so demanding to the extent of workers taking some unfinished assignments home in the evening after a long day’s work. Though it started as some isolated case, it is now commonplace to find employees carrying huge diaries and paperwork back home to complete the task away from the office. In her article Paul (1998) gives the example of Arlene Price, a Systems Analyst by profession. The individual attests to the above fact by saying that in her view the difference between work tine and her own time has become blurred to the extent that she can freely walk out of the office and majestically stride towards the massage parlour...
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...Maryland has regarding employee e-mail and internet privacy. I will also be discussing why companies implement e-mail and internet use policies. Lastly, I will be covering what assumptions employees might make about their privacy at work and how the policies that are in place can affect an employee’s privacy at work. At Abacus Technology electronic communication such as e-mail and internet use is encouraged, however, electronic communications are considered company property and their purpose is only to be used for company business. The policy on electronic communication relates to all electronic media and services, which are accessed using company computer equipment, while on company premises, or by company-paid access methods, and used in a manner which identifies the individual with the company. Employees are not supposed to use electronic communications for excessive personal use, soliciting non-company business, and conducting activities that are illegal or contrary to the firm’s best interest. Individuals are also asked not to access criminal websites or transmit any harassing or offensive material. Any violations of the company’s electronic communication policy will result in disciplinary actions up to and including termination (Abacus Technology Corp, 2001). Abacus Technology does not have a current policy in place that forbids the use of company email for personal use. However, they ask that employees do not open attachments from unknown senders...
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...important tool in conducting business. Both, the employer and the employee retain a level of implied responsibility in protecting the interest of each. The employer provides electronic communications systems and devices with the intent of assisting employees in the performance of their jobs. Policies concerning the use of electronic communications should primarily protect the interests of the company, to include reputation and work product. Employees should conduct themselves in a manner that does not distract from the overall purpose of business communications. Employee utilization of company assets for personal use should not be excessive, and staff should use responsibly. In my current employment policies are in place to regulate the use electronic communications for professional and personal use. Although employees are permitted to use company assets for limited personal use, all use should be brief and not detract from the employees work or violate the company’s standard of ethics. Policies have been placed to protect the employee and the Agency, As O’Rourke explains employers have a right to “intercept and review e-mail messages, audit email accounts and require employee training on e-mail” (2013, p. 190). Employees have a responsibility to ensure their use of company assets for personal use comply with organization policies. As no federal law covers entirely an employee’s right to privacy (O’Rourke, 2013, p.189) employees should ensure that all use of company assets for...
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...Electronic Surveillance of Employee Professor Cowan LEG 500 April 24 2011 Table of Content Page Where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace ……………….. 1 Explain whether it makes a difference if an employee is in an open area or in an enclosed office………………………………………………………………………………………..….. 2 Explain if Herman’s need to know whether his salespersons are honest is a sufficient ground for utilizing electronic surveillance………………………………………………………….......2, 3 Explain to what extent an employer can engage in electronic surveillance of employees…………………………………………………………………………….……….3, 4 Explain to what extent the inclusion of innocent, unaware third –parties in such surveillance determines whether it is legal……………………………………………………….…….…...4, 5 Reference Cited………………………………………………………...…………Reference Page Electronic Surveillance Page 1 Explain where an employee can reasonably except to have privacy in the workplace. Based on the fact that the United States doesn’t have a comprehensive law that protects privacy, there is almost no where in the work place that is private. Most laws give the employer the ability to monitor their employees as long as they have a valid reason for their monitoring. With the advance tin technology employer’s ability to monitor their employees has expanded over last 20 years. Employers have the right to monitor telephone calls, computer usage, electronic mail, voice mail, and video monitoring. Most employee...
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...Findings………………………………………………………….... 7 6. Conclusion and recommendations……………………………….. 11 7. Appendices…………………………………………………………… 13 Background About Apple Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. About RIM Research In Motion Limited (RIM) is a Canadian telecommunication and wireless device company best known as the developer of the BlackBerry smartphone. Target markets for the iPhone and BlackBerry are starting to overlap. The iPhone is a media consumer's dream, playing movies and music with ease. But it's not as finely tuned for the corporate user; large companies have resisted letting employees use iPhones on corporate networks The iPhone accounted for 16.1% of the market in the quarter, compared to 10.9% the same period a year ago, IDC said in releasing its quarterly report Friday. In terms of shipments, Apple shipped 8.8 million units, a 131.6% increase from the 3.8 million shipments a year ago. RIM, meanwhile, saws its share drop to 19.4% from 20.9% a year ago. Nevertheless, the company shipped 10.6 million units, a 45.2% increase from the 7.3 million units shipped a year ago. Overall, the growth rate of the global smartphone market more than doubled the mobile phone market as a whole. Vendors shipped 54.7 million smartphones in the quarter, up 56.7%...
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...Behavior and Communication Paper BCOM/230 October 6, 2011 IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) has been a fixture in American and the international field of information handling since the 1880’s. The original company name was Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R). More recently, IBM employees determined that their values include, “dedication to every client’s success”. (Palmisano, 2011). “Also espoused in the values statement is trust and personal responsibility in all relationships”. (Palmisano, 2011). IBM has taken the route that their values must permeate all dealings whether in the United States or not. This company has tried to take on a culture of trust and responsibility worldwide. Previously, IBM conducted an intranet convention of sorts to try and get input from all 319,000 employees world wide and the result was the previous mentioned values. So obviously, IBM uses electronic communications very heavily in their operations. Also, “In 1997, IBM actively recommended that its employees use the Internet when many companies were seeking to restrict their employees' Internet access” (IBM, n.d.). IBM insists its employees follow their business conduct guidelines when conducting business on the internet. In the case of IBM, their levels of communication have to be directly related to their values because they are committed to the success of every customer. This, in this writer’s...
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...CHAPTER 1 1. How do you define Electronic Commerce EC involves conducting transactions electronically. Major categories of EC are pure versus partial EC, Internet versus non-Internet, and electronic markets versus company based systems. 2. Major types of EC transactions - B2C,B2B, C2C, c-commerce, e-government, social commercing 3. What are elements of digital world? - Digital economy, digital enterprises and digital society CHAPTER 2 1. What does E-marketplace prepresents and what are its components. e-marketplace or marketspae, is a virtual market that does not suffer from limitations of space, time or borders. Its major components are customers, sellers, products, infrastructure, front-end processes, back-end activities, electronic intermediaries, other business partners, and support services. 2. What are characteristics of Web 3.0 - Web 3.0 is definedas connective intelligence; connecting data, concepts, applications and ultimately people. 3. What are main benefits and limitations of auctions - Major benefits for sellers are the ability to reach many buyers, sell quicklly, and safe on intermediary commissions. CHAPTER 3 1. E-tailing as a business models? It can be classified by distrubution channel – a manufacturer or mail.order company selling directly to consumers, virtual e-tailing, a click and mortar strategy with both online and traditional channels, and online malls that provide...
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...be very difficult to define. Most people believe ethics are personal, religious, or societal beliefs or behaviors. In the workplace most people believe that what is legal is ethical. The problem is none of these things defines ethics. Ethics refers to what is right or wrong and standards of conduct. I read something that said the golden rule defines what ethics is “do onto others as you would have done onto you”. In today’s business world ethics are more important than ever. With scandals like Enron and Martha Stewart people have lost their confidence in the business world, but more than that people need to feel that as technology speeds ahead that ethics will play a role in the future. Technology runs our lives. We can’t live without the internet, our cell phones, or other mobile devices, but as these technologies make our lives and jobs easier, there is also more opportunity for people to use these technologies unethically. Companies, outsiders, and employees all have a role in workplace ethics. Companies have to be ethical in many different situations. They need to make sure they are conducting business ethically, make sure they are protecting employee and customer information, and they need to make sure they are ethical to their employees. In the Enron situation top executives ordered files to be destroyed after they knew an investigation had begun. This was not only unethical but against the law. Companies also need to insure that the information they gather on their...
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...the video: “Electronic Surveillance of Employees” by clicking on the link in the course shell. There is also a link that will allow you to print the script of the video. Write a four to five (4-5) page report that answers the following: 1. Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace. In today’s age of e-mail, internet, and increased use of technology, there are very few places that an employee can expect to have privacy in the workplace. The sanctuary of one’s enclosed office used to be expected to warrant privacy but not anymore. There are no uniform legal standards protecting employee privacy in the workplace. Employers can get away with denying workplace privacy because they own the business phones, computers, and building. About the only place an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace is in the changing room. Wisconsin Representative Thomas Petri introduced Bill H.R. 582 in 2005 to enact the Employee Changing Room Privacy Act. This bill would prohibit employers from engaging in video or audio monitoring of employees in restroom facilities, dressing rooms, or other areas in which it is reasonable to expect employees to change clothing. It proposed to establish maximum civil money penalties for violators. However, this bill never became law. 2. 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...
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...researching employer and employee views on the topic, I am for the policies and laws regarding workplace communications. Although employees should have privacy, many U.S. companies are implementing workplace monitoring, consisting of recording telephone calls, viewing e-mails, Internet connections and employee computer files (E-Monitoring in the Workplace, 2006). Because many companies rely on technology to complete jobs, employers must protect their assets as well as ensure their employees are productive. The federal legislation protects both the employee and employer under the Electronic Communications Act (ECPA). When an employee is at work he or she is operating a piece of technology owned by the employer. The employer provides the technology to the employee to conduct business for the company, not for his or her own personal use. The ECPA states an employee is entitled to privacy, but an employer does have the right to monitor employee communications to ensure he or she are conducting business and not placing the company at risk (E-Monitoring in the Workplace, 2006). If an employer discovers an employee is conducting a personal conversation, the employer must stop the surveillance and give the employee privacy. The purpose of workplace communication policies and laws is to protect the interest of the company and its employees. The ECPA is a law that allows use of monitoring employee’s performance, while respecting employee...
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...Business Customs in France When conducting business in a country other than our own, there are many obvious considerations that must be made to be successful, including how negotiations are made, how business meetings are conducted, acceptable business attire, etiquette and decision styles. Other less obvious, yet equally important, considerations that must be made include normal business hours in the host country, accepted cultural norms regarding gift giving, handshakes and business cards, and how women are regarded in the business world. This paper will address the cultural considerations that an American professional would need to make when conducting business in France, as well as a summary of Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture for both countries. Negotiations Business negotiations in France tend to be very centralized and bureaucratic. Tradition is respected and given precedence over new ideas and formality is expected in all stages of business. During business negotiations, the French tend to ask very direct, detailed questions and expect adequate responses from their American colleagues. It is expected that all risks be identified early in the process and that they are all well-managed to avoid unnecessary complications. The French are also likely to repeat their main points when they have reached their conclusion, at which point changing their opinion or decision is very unlikely. Additionally, the business structure in France often requires initial negotiations...
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...Business ethics mean many things to many people and for different reasons. Business ethics can be simply defined as moral standards by which people judge behavior (Tenbrunsel, 2008). In business, there are many different people you have to answer to: your customers, your shareholders, your colleagues and your clients. Business ethics are complex and very subjective and what we do when an ethical situation presents itself is what ultimately dictates one’s ethics. We have all heard of the “golden rule”, which is do unto others as you’d have done to you. I think this ultimately defines ethics and how they are very personal and subjective. If you lie, then you should not be upset when you are lied to. In the world of business, employers monitor their employees in different ways and for different reasons and there is no legal boundaries to the monitoring. There are five different ways in which employees are watched for ethics: business ethics, legal compliance, legal liability, performance review, productivity, and security (Reh, 2010). Legal compliance is a term used to ensure that companies and their employees adhere to the regulated guidelines that are set fourth by the industry. An example of this behavior is with customer service representatives. A company chooses to record the conversations that the customer service representative have with customers to protect themselves and their customers. While this does not seem like much, but it shows that a company cares enough to...
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...Value Alignment BUS/475 Value Alignment Intro – still need Personal and workplace values Xerox Fuji started out as a small and focused company that a vision that would not die. Looking back from when the company began in 1962 it was clear Xerox Fuji knew the future would consist of hard work and continual forward movement. Xerox Fuji started as a joint venture in Japan and envisioned the company expanding globally. Today Xerox Fuji products are global because of the company’s hard work and dedication. Xerox Fuji is always reaching to improve their product lines every day. This forward thinking shows deference in today’s world. To stay in business, companies should have the flexibility and ability to keep up with changes. The values of respect, hard work, dedication and commitment can be applied to an individual and company with a successful outcome. Individual alignment Values drive and motivate behaviors and actions. Each individual has a set of core values, which could be as common as punctuality, self-reliance, dedicated hard worker, loyalty, and harmony, to name a few. For example, one of values is honesty, which motivates me to be straightforward in my personal and professional lives. Through my actions I choose not to cheat, lie, steal, or deceive. It is important my actions and behaviors show that I have a strong and trusting character. In analyzing the alignment between...
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...2015, p 620). Ferry’s job at Nettie’s wa delivering flowers for the company, but, when the case was heard Nettie’s claimed that James Ferry was an independent contractor (Twomey, 2015, p 621), and paid Ferry based on the number of deliveries made instead of how many hours actually worked. Ferry used his own personal van for deliveries, and Nettie’s Flowers requested Ferry equip his van with air-conditioning and heat to protect the plants. Ferry was responsible for delivering in his assigned territory. Although, Nettie’s did not supply Ferry with a company uniform he was expected to have a neat appearance, and conduct himself in a professional manner while on the job. (Twomey, 2015, p 620). On the date of the accident, Ferry made a mid-day stop downtown, and, then ran by a pawn shop to handle some personal business. Shortly after leaving the pawn shop, and heading to do his afternoon run Ferry collided with Studebaker’s vehicle. After leaving the pawn shop, and headed to do his afternoon run, Ferry’s van collided with Studebaker’s vehicle. (Twomey, 2015, p 620). According to the doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer is liable for negligent acts of an employee within the course of employment. (Twomey, 2015, p 619). However, the owners of Nettie’s Flowers disagreed with the court’s finding, and, counter-argued at the time of the accident, Ferry was not driving his van to service Nettie’s business interest, but, instead was...
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...| How Businesses Are Taxed | Businesses have to pay federal income tax just like individuals. However, different business entities are taxed differently. Understanding these basic differences will help you to identify federal income tax obligations as you conduct business with different business formations. Income taxation can impact commercial transactions between different kinds of businesses, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, franchised, and corporations. Sole proprietorships A sole proprietorship is a small business owned by a single individual. The owner is the business; the business is not a separate legal entity. The federal income tax obligation to be aware of when conducting business with sole proprietorships is that the sole proprietorship pays income tax only once on the income of the business, which the owner reports on his personal income tax form. There is no separate tax-filing requirement for the business itself. Since the sole proprietor is the business, he is responsible for the same income tax obligations as are most individuals. He does get the benefit of all business deductions, which he can write off against his personal income. In a good year, the owner of a sole proprietorship may want to make capital purchases, and defer payments from creditors until after the end of the tax year, so that he can offset assets and liabilities against his tax burden. Partnerships In a partnership, two or more people agree to combine their money, ideas, skills...
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