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KristineS
08-15-2008, 03:26 PM
Many companies can now monitor your communications if you are an employee. They can hear what you say on the phone, read what you type on your computer and in e-mails and see where you go and what you do online. Some companies are very strict and others are more lax.

This article from Nolo (http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectId/751CFB9F-5A4B-48FB-A85BC08E2D9862E5/catID/30960BF5-6C25-44B9-992E83CC50D5B17A/111/259/137/ART/) gives an explanation of the law and what employers are and are not allowed to do. If you're an employer it would worth reading to make sure you're staying inside the law. If you're an employee it would be worth reading to see what your employer can and can't monitor.

billbenson
08-25-2008, 12:14 PM
I'd certainly at least spot check employees. My college job was undercover security for Sears and employee theft was a big problem, so my perception may be slanted. I also briefly worked for a company that had a random drug testing policy in 2000. I think they had to have it for insurance reason. It was obvious that good employees never got tested.

In my days at Sears, one of the problems we had was employees had the right to a 15% discount for themselves and immediate family. The use of the discount for friends or others was grounds for dismissal. One time we caught a girl using her employee discount for a friend. My boss who was a store executive interviewed her. He asked her several times if she was aware of the policy. She said yes. He was trying to get her to say no so he didn't have to fire her. Because she said yes, we had to fire her and she was a good employee.

KristineS
08-25-2008, 12:24 PM
I know that our IT guys have the ability to monitor what we do and where we go on our computers. They can log in and take over our computers too.

In my job, I have a lot of leeway as to the sites I visit. I also would never go to anything that was not work safe or work appropriate. Still sometimes it bothers me that my usage might be monitored.

I guess it's a trust thing. I know I'm a trustworthy person, and part of me resents the implication that I might not be. At the same time, I know a lot of businesses have gotten burned, and so they are wary.