Employee Privacy: Employee Expectations

Here it comes, right up front.

My opinion is that employees should have no expectation of privacy while on company time or using company property. OMG, dad, that's so not fair!

I happen to think it is perfectly fair, reasonable and legal. Company time is paid work time and, as such, should be applied to work. Company property belongs to the company. Property includes desks, file cabinets, computers, phones and even lockers.

In real life, workplace toilet and general restroom facilities have a customary exclusion from surveillance. If the employer suspects illegal activities in such facilities, Human Resources or legal advice is necessary. If you suspect illegal items or weapons to be present in employee property such as backpacks, the same advice is required.

In normal day-to-day business operations however, company property and paid work time offer no expectation of privacy.

But what about employee expectations? My experience is that many employees do expect privacy and therefore it is a reality which needs to be addressed. By that I mean that your employees should be told from day one what the policy is at your workplace. Doing so is a Best Practice in so many areas.

In my experience I have encountered cases in which employees ran entire small businesses on their work computer while on company time and others where employees used a company van for prostitute encounters.

And before you think I'm just a big meanie, I also believe the company connection to the employee ends after paid work time and off company property. I do not agree with crawling all over social media and such stalking of employees. If something comes to your attention however, such as an employee tweets about the money they've embezzled, all bets are off.

Lance