Electronic Monitoring : Ethical and legal Issues

As Indian workers generate billions of e-mails and phone calls every business day, employers are increasingly monitoring and cataloguing these and other employee communications. Around 73.5 percent of major U.S. corporations record and monitor employee e-mails,computer files and phone conversations, as well as track Web sites workers visit on the Internet.These companies often perceive monitoring as the best means of limiting liability and increasing worker productivity. Companies vary on whether they inform employees of such tactics.

While the Civil Liberties Union, numerous computer privacy groups and scores of employees condemn monitoring, arguing that it violates personal privacy, laws regarding workplace privacy indicate differently. Public debate has grown over the ethics and legality of employer monitoring .Such practices alienate workers, increase their stress levels and destroy company loyalty, all of which are detrimental to overall company performance and customer service. Electronic communications, especially of a private nature, are the property of individuals.

Views-in-Favour and Counter-Views on this conflagrant battle are solicited. Your views should reach us at b_cognizance@iiita.ac.in