Ethics in Action #3 - Workplace Monitoring and Privacy

The recent increase in online work in the marketplace and in education has seen a parallel increase in monitoring and proctoring software. Following the Electronic Communications Act of 1986 (ECPA), which applies to email, phone conversations, and electronically stored data, there are currently no federal laws requiring employers to disclose to employees the extent to which they are being monitored on a company-issued device.

Consider this hypothetical scenario:                                                                                                                          

You are an IT specialist for a small private business. Your company has a policy outlining privacy and expectations for the use of company computers, email, internet and other resources to ensure productivity and protect the company from any employees engaging in illegal behavior. Over lunch, a co-worker and friend tells you that they anonymously wrote a critical post about their neighbor, who also happens to be your supervisor, on the company’s Discord channel. Later that day, you get an email from your supervisor asking you to access your friend’s computer and report on their activity.

How do you decide what to do? Use the Eight Key Questions to guide your response.