Who's Watching Me?

Sad to say, too often it's your employer! In this age of technology,companies have become very intrusive, creating paranoid reactions among employees. Workers worry whether the boss is monitoring their e-mails, instant messages, and virtually every keystroke and mouse click.

Depending on the nature of your work and the state you live in, many companies are well within their rights to control the flow of information coming in and out of their business. Ideally, employers are upfront about their policies, posting warnings that employees’ telephone and computer activities are being monitored. But some companies do all this in complete secrecy and even deny such activities when confronted.

Typically, employee monitoring is done on a need-to-know basis — that is, when an employer suspects a worker is doing something they shouldn’t be. This could range from innocent goofing off — watching videos, online shopping — to more serious activities that could compromise the well-being of the company or its equipment.

What many companies don’t realize is the negative impact spying has on employee morale and workflow. A happy worker is always more productive, but when they feel Big Brother is watching their every move, it casts a negative shadow over the entire workplace.