University of Toledo Employee Monitoring Discussion

Discussion boards are an important element in learning. It gives us chance to interact with our community of learners. It can provide a fresh perspective and another point of view.  It can validate our conclusions or awaken us to new thinking. Please read the material that I have posted. Think about the topic and questions it poses. Prepare a response to the topic. “I agree” or “That’s great” is insufficient. Your posting should be a paragraph or more in length Your reaction should include support or explanation. After reading and contemplating your classmates’ response. Post a response to a classmates’ post. Be creative and thoughtful! I would encourage you to “get in to” the discussion. You will find it rewarding! Grading will be based upon were you responsive and complete, did you use proper grammar, syntax, and word choice, did you include references to readings.etc. Points will be earned in the following manner. Up to 20 Points for your original post.

Karen is a marketing executive working at home using her own computer accessing the company network through her internet provider. When she accesses the network, there is an authentication interface where she enters her work email and password.

Karen received what appears to be at legitimate email asking her to click on an embedded link to learn more about a new solar technology.  Though she did not recognize the name of the sender, she clicks on the link because she works at a solar panel installation company and is always excited to learn about the latest technology. She also is on several list servers, so it is not uncommon for her to receive emails such as this one.

Karen finds herself looking at a website with photos of Leonardo DiCaprio that are not safe or suitable for work (NSFW) She is so annoyed by the email and this website, that she spends a few minutes on trying to figure out how to unsubscribe from its list.  After searching for several minutes with no luck she leaves the website and returns to reading her email she responds quickly to a question from her intern and then sends an email to her teenage daughter reminding her to pick up the dog from the puppy daycare on her way home from school.  She then returns to preparing for her upcoming presentation.

A few days later she receives a written warning from her manager reprimanding her for using employer owned computer network for personal use, including looking at NSFW material online and also for emailing her daughter. She learns that her manager was using a program that alerted him anytime an employee viewed certain inappropriate websites. He also was monitoring her work email account for keywords and her puppy daycare was flagged. Karen is furious at the invasion of her privacy posed by this computer monitoring. Does her employer have a right to monitor in this way, and how might you suggest that she respond? If you were her manager, how might you separate your monitoring between appropriate technology use and inappropriate use? How would you characterize Karen use?