A lot of people are curious about whether or not their employer has the right to record them while they are working. Employees seem to think that employers are violating their rights if employers monitor them. Guess again. Employers can monitor their employees for business reasons if they have consent before doing so. You have to give either your written or oral consent to your boss for them to be able to monitor what you are doing at work. Your boss also has to let you know that you are being monitored.
How Employers Can Legally Monitor Their Employees
There are many different ways that your boss can monitor you and still be completely within their legal rights. Your boss can monitor your email, your internet use, and your phone conversations. Your boss can monitor just about anything as long it takes place on company equipment and on company time. There are many employees that may check their personal email a few times during the workday.
This does not seem to upset most bosses or companies. There are other employees who spend hours of company time a day surfing the web for their own personal use or gain. These are the employees that are hurting companies. These are the employees that reduce productivity. Computer monitoring can help weed out these types of employees.
More Information about Computer Monitor
Computer monitor can be done by companies as somewhat of a proactive measure to help companies make the most of their time and resources. There have been many companies that have had to face legal action for not properly following the fundamental rules when it comes to monitoring employees.
Any file that any file that an employee downloads can be view by a computer monitoring device. These systems are affordable and can easily be installed to track and monitor every computer within your network. Employers should definitely be aware of the fact that they cannot monitor any personal devices of their employees, but these devices should not be used during company time anyway.
Include a No Expectation of Privacy Policy in the Company Handbook
Employers should be certain to include a no expectation of privacy policy within their company’s handbook. This way you have all of your bases covered legally. Monitoring employees can be a sticky situation for various reasons. It can also provide a company with a boat load of benefits. You would be surprised by the amazing amount of benefits that you can reap from monitoring your employees. You can increase your company’s productivity by leaps and bounds. You can cut down on the amount of time that employees goof off at work and get the most out of paying their salary.
Ways that Employers can Monitor Their Employees Legally
Employees should also know that employers can also monitor them with video surveillance as well. Employers can also record phone conversations that occur on company phone lines. Employees should be careful when making personal calls on company time. When it comes right down to it, employee should be focused on work oriented task when they are at work. Keep your professional life completely separate from your personal life. Leave the family life at the front door of the office.
Do not pick up back up again until you leave at the end of the day. Your boss will surely appreciate any employee that strives to stay on task. All employees of any company should be aware of the Wire Tap Act, which allow employers to legally monitor any resources that are owned by the company. Employers, be sure that you are completely within your legal rights before monitoring employees.
Jason Phillips has authored the guest post. He is a regular contributor at many sites. He is also familiar to applicant tracking software and using it in his company. His leisure includes playing football and gardening.