What is workplace monitoring?

[junecheng2010]

Employers have the right to monitor your activities in many situations at work. Monitoring in the workplace includes:

recording on CCTV cameras
opening mail or e-mail
use of automated software to check e-mail
checking phone logs or recording of phone calls
checking logs of websites visited
videoing outside the workplace
getting information from credit reference agencies
collecting information through 'point of sale' terminals, such as supermarket checkouts, to check the performance of individual operators.
All of these forms of monitoring are covered by data protection law. Data protection law doesn't prevent monitoring in the workplace. However, it does set down rules about the circumstances and the way in which monitoring should be carried out.

Before deciding whether to introduce monitoring, your employer should:

be clear about the reasons for monitoring staff and the benefits that this will bring
identify any negative effects the monitoring may have on staff. This is called an impact assessment
consider whether there are any, less intrusive, alternatives to monitoring
work out whether the monitoring is justified, taking into account all of the above.
Except in extremely limited circumstances, employers must take reasonable steps to let staff know that monitoring is happening, what is being monitored and why it is necessary.

Employers who can justify monitoring once they have carried out a proper impact assessment will usually not need the consent of individual members of staff.

[Berry lee]

Thanks for sharing~

[nancy]

So nice of you

[sienna]

I'm be monitored in the company, it that legal?

[junecheng2010]

It depends on the law of your country.

[Coco]

I'm be monitored in the company, it that legal?

Your boss decides it.

[BlackCherry]

Most people think that it is legal.

[Luanamy]

Though maybe is their right, but not reasonable.......

[sophie hello]

Most of us are monitored in the company. It's hard to object to it for the boss decided it.

[Luanamy]

That may make people feel uncomfortable..............

[jin]

Monitoring in a company now is not new, most of the company has engaged to monitoring for their own sake. Company owners just protect their company to any possible attack that can affect the company. One good reason company engages to monitoring because of the employees. We cannot deny that there are some employees who are lazy, instead of working they use working hours to unrelated to work activities like playing games, visiting social networking site, checking personal email and etc. Another good reason is company owners just want to secure their company from data theft and data lose, some employees might use the company's documents to leak or trade to other company to achieve personal goals. Using these monitoring it can help prevent these malicious activities and assure that employees are working. Using But before engaging to these actions you might want to check this blog that discusses a good way to monitor employees this way issues on employees to monitoring can be prevented. Misuses of monitoring tools and devices can affect employees that can result to low productivity and low self esteem.