- Published: September 25, 2022
- Updated: September 25, 2022
- University / College: University of Cincinnati
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 45
4. Some of the reasons which could justify employers reading emails are (a) to detect if employees are engaging in pornographic (b) fraudulent (c) criminal or (d) terrorist communication activities. If employees are suspected of engaging in cyber crime, this may be adequate justification to read the employee’s emails to detect any illegal activity.
5. The negative ramifications of reading employee mail are that it constitutes a rampant intrusion into their privacy. Employees are unlikely to communicate freely with each other if they feel that “ big brother” is watching. This could hamper and impede creativity and make employees self-conscious and restrained at the workplace, thereby impeding them from developing their full potential and contributing their innovation and skills to the firm.
6. On the whole, the content of email communications should be kept entirely private. Companies should improve their screening processes in recruitment and their supervisory processes at the workplace in order to monitor employees. But should a Company feel that rare instances may arise when it could become necessary to examine the emails of employees, this should be clearly spelled out under Company policy? Employees should be made to understand that as a general policy, the content of their communications will remain confidential. It is only when grounds of suspicion arise against them for one or the other reason, that emails will be monitored and employees should be informed that emails will be retained under an archiving system, but will be accessed only under exceptional circumstances.