Sophisticated technology allows employers to monitor employees' phone calls and e-mails
Companies have the ability to closely monitor employee activity, including phone calls and e-mails, according to a new study conducted by a Ryerson University professor.
The study, Under the Radar, found employers use closed-circuit television cameras, listen to recorded phone calls, track employee vehicles with GPS and monitor e-mails and security passes.
However, many companies are shying away from heavily monitoring workers, said the study's author, Avner Levin.
The 15 Canadian companies surveyed told Levin they were cautious about the need to preserve employees' trust. However, many of these companies had weak privacy protection policies in place.
HR executives responsible for workplace privacy often have little knowledge of the potential intrusiveness of these technologies or of what information is actually being collected, he said.
While privacy laws vary across the country, there are certain ethical standards employers should follow when monitoring employees, said Levin. Employers need to be reasonable in what they are doing and they need to specify what surveillance information is being used and how.
Levin undertook the study for the federal privacy commissioner to learn more about privacy in the workplace.
The study, Under the Radar, found employers use closed-circuit television cameras, listen to recorded phone calls, track employee vehicles with GPS and monitor e-mails and security passes.
However, many companies are shying away from heavily monitoring workers, said the study's author, Avner Levin.
The 15 Canadian companies surveyed told Levin they were cautious about the need to preserve employees' trust. However, many of these companies had weak privacy protection policies in place.
HR executives responsible for workplace privacy often have little knowledge of the potential intrusiveness of these technologies or of what information is actually being collected, he said.
While privacy laws vary across the country, there are certain ethical standards employers should follow when monitoring employees, said Levin. Employers need to be reasonable in what they are doing and they need to specify what surveillance information is being used and how.
Levin undertook the study for the federal privacy commissioner to learn more about privacy in the workplace.
