Workplace Surveillance

"The American Management Association reports that the percentage of U.S. employers who electronically monitor their workers in increasing (American Management Association 2001, 2005). In 2005, for example, 76 per cent of U.S. based employers reported monitoring Internet and/or email usage." (Chen, J. & Ross, W. 2007) Employers justify surveillance practices by claiming that they ensure increased productivity, and reduce theft and pilferage in the workplace. However, the surveillance categorizes all employees' as suspect of low productivity and theft. This in itself may create a hostile work environment.

Employees should not lose all rights to privacy with respect to their employers by virtue of being employees. There have been various arguments in favor of and against the surveillance and monitoring of employees. Furthermore, in recent years of affordable technology, the availability of less easily observable or detectable monitoring devices, and a lack of adequate regulation, there has been as explosions in the use of electronic monitoring and surveillance in the workplace. Research findings, as well as anecdotal evidence, suggest that, in addition to stress lack of workplace privacy, electronic surveillance can contribute to negative employee behaviors. In addition, these behaviors can have a significant effect on life in organizations and on the corporate bottom line.

Chen, J. & Ross, W. (n. d.) Individual differences and electronic monitoring at work.
Information, Communication & Society Vol. 10, No. $, August 2007, pp 488-505


Introna, L. (2003) Surveillance & Society Retrieved August 4, 2010 from
http://www.surveillance-and-society.org


Wallace, P. (1999) The psychology of the internet Cambridge University Press