The invisible eye monitors what you do at work

jjw1965

Electoral Member
Jul 8, 2005
722
0
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Big Brother is here: The invisible eye monitors what you do at work

George Orwell, who imagined the ultimate dystopia more than 50 years ago, wouldn’t be surprised at developments in today’s technology-saturated workplaces.
Story
 

Nascar_James

Council Member
Jun 6, 2005
1,640
0
36
Oklahoma, USA
Yep. This is indeed true, JJ. Companies would be foolish not to monitor employees personal internet and/or e-mail usage.

On monitoring the internet, they look specifically at what sites the employee has visited to see if it is work related. Example, if an employee spends 20 hours out of a 40 hour week surfing the internet, it had better be work related.

Infringement of privacy would be very hard to prove on behalf of the employee, particularly since the employee is using the company's resources.
 

Cosmo

House Member
Jul 10, 2004
3,725
22
38
Victoria, BC
Good article, JJW.

Quote from the article:
While some employers may understandably be concerned over the time and profits lost to the Internet or through private use of company communications capabilities, employees argue that contrary to good intentions, workplace monitoring has the potential to adversely affect the bottom line by stunting employee productivity and creating lower morale and increased job stress

I owned a biz and employees using the net for personal use was, at times, troublesome. We were a small enough company to be able to deal with it one on one, but as an employer, I know that too much time spent online for personal stuff is costly.

On the other hand, being monitored every moment is something I would refuse to be involved in ... on either side. If I can't trust my employees or if my employers can't trust me, I'm in the wrong place.

The more employers treat employees like irresponsible, dishonest people, the more they will behave that way. People live up to expectations, I have found. Motivating employees to give 100% is a boss's job. If you're not equipped to do that, you should not be in a postion of power. This whole 1984 approach is a step toward destroying good work ethics and job satisfaction.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: The invisible eye mon

Hah! Nobody monitors me at work. Except the cats. Oh, and the dogs. And Mrs. Rev when she's here.

Hmmm...now I feel all paranoid.
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
5,101
22
38
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Winchester Virginia
www.contactcorp.net
Just because you're paranoid, does not mean "they" are not out to get you...

An old saw, but worth another cut.

And as far as the Orwellian eye on us all, well, I don't see anyone able to stop it.

My old company bless it's heartless soul, use to bandy about its gleeful motto, "You can't manage what you can't measure."

Now isn't that a good reason not to expect privacy in the work place ?

There's quite a body of law domestically and internationally growing under that category called "The expectation of Privacy."

We are going there good or bad, unfortunately.