ALT-6 Should Employers Monitor Employees Internet use – Yes
I honestly believe that all employers should be allowed to monitor an employee's Internet use, but only to a certain degree. They should be allowed to check what websites the employee visits, but not be able to read the emails or IM logs. Those contain private information that is only for the intended recipient's eyes.
There are some companies out there that are okay with their employees using the Internet, but only during down times, so that busy times are not interrupted. There are also some companies that allow only certain web sites be available, while others (ie: MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo personals) are blocked. It is another form of monitoring. I know for a fact that some federal agencies allow their employees to check their email, read current news, but block any type of entertainment type sites. According to them, it is their way of monitoring the Internet usage without having to go into individual computers and looking at what they are doing.
I think that being able to block certain content, while allowing the employee to check their email, read local news, or check weather conditions in their area is a great idea. No one's privacy is invaded. No personal information is given out and the employee feels that they are trusted to some extreme. Having an employer go into individual computers and pulling up personal information on an employee is an invasion of privacy (do you want everyone knowing, unless you give the information out, that you were stood up for a blind date?).
Employers have certain rights too. They have the right to make sure that they are not being taken advantage of. To a certain extent, they have right to check computer use, to check desks to make sure that nothing untold is being brought in or snuck out of the office. There are a lot of companies that have you sign a contract that allows them to check your desk, your computer files, your purse (if they feel that it is necessary) or any other thing they choose, to ensure that nothing is being stolen or used improperly. Why do they do this? Because, more than likely, they have been burned in the past and now want to ensure that the problem does not happen again.
Just like employees, employers have rights too. They have to be more careful, but they do have the right to make sure that everything is as it should be. Employers should consider blocking certain web sites company wide instead of individual invasion of privacy. Reading an employees personal emails is an invasion of privacy and a law suit looking to happen.
