Is It Legal For Employers To Monitor Your Computer?

Courts have ruled that an employer’s monitoring of its employees’ e-mails and other computer related activities during work hours and/or on company-owned equipment, Internet, and e-mail accounts is not illegal.

Companies typically monitor employees’ online usage for the following reasons:

1. To avoid claims based on sexual, racial, ethnic, and other forms of harassment.

2. To protect against an employee sending or posting confidential information.

3. To reduce exposure to intellectual property infringement claims.

4. To decrease the likelihood that an embarrassing message attributed to the employer will be sent.

5. To guard against computer viruses.

6. To improve productivity.

It is recommended that employers create an AUP (acceptable use policy) that outlines what is and isn't acceptable use of electronic media and communications. If your company does not have an AUP in place, you need to act now! Call us for more information: (508) 992-2541

Tweeting Could Land You In Jail

The Associated Press reports that Guatemalan Jean Anleu may spend five years in a Guatemalan jail for his anti-government Twitter rant.  It makes him the first person in the world to be arrested for a tweet!

Using his Internet alias "jeanfer," Anleu advised Guatemalan depositors to "take cash out of Banrural and bankrupt the bank of the corrupt."  According to prosecutors, these words "illegally undermined" the banking system, violating a 2008 law enacted by the fledgling democratic government.

Foreign governments aren't the only ones concerned about the use of social networking sites.  Many US businesses are revising their acceptable use policies regarding company-owned technology to include social networking.  A recent survey estimated the annual cost to US businesses in lost wages due to personal use of technology on company time topped $1 billion.  FREE assistance with the creation or modification of acceptable use policies is one of the many benefits enjoyed by our Network Headache Eliminator Platinum clients.