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Employee Privacy Report
Edward Charfauros
Business Communications COM/285
August 16, 2011
Joyce Harada
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2. Running head: EMPLOYEE PRIVACY REPORT
Employee Privacy Report
Lawsuits have spawned from employees because the Internet became available in the
workplace. E-mail in many cases play a prominent role in sexual harassment and racial conflict.
Employers possessing Internet policies can still defend against claims, but Internet laws and email policies remain confusing. Effective policies can help both employers and employees
maintain system integrity against viruses, protect Internet and e-mail use. While preventing
virtually every type of lawsuits from anti-spam laws, intellectual property violations, privacy
invasion, racial conflict, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, etc.
In this report the subject to address is e-mail, Internet use, and privacy policies among
organizations. Internet policies differ between organizations. However, frequently asked
questions remain the same among the organization concerning Internet policies. Frequently ask
questions (FAQ) assist organizations on avoiding unnecessary questions about the organization’s
Internet policy, which is why FAQ has been implemented to lessen problems and issues.
Navy’s Privacy Policies and Internet Usage
The Web remains as a beneficial public information resource providing global
accessibility to society. In December 1998 the Navy implemented the department of defense
policy memorandum, “Web Site Administration” with updates. The purpose is to govern the
content the department of the Navy publicly accesses within the World Wide Web (WWW) sites
through policies and procedures. Additionally the department of the Navy implemented these
following programs: SECNAVINST 5211.5E, “Department of the Navy Privacy Act (PA)
Program” to protect personnel; SECNAVINST 5510.36, “Department of the Navy (DON)
Information Security Program (ISP) Regulation” to protect the organization and affiliates; and
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SECNAVINST 5239.3A, “Department of the Navy Information Assurance (IA) Policy” to
protect ships and land base stations.
The Internet enhances Navy’s internal and external productivity, but also enhances
potential risk with assets, operations, and most important personnel upon inappropriate
information publishing. The security and safety of Navy and Marine Corps operations,
personnel, and their families continue to be threatened on computer systems. Moreover, physical
terrorist attacks and identity theft occur upon personnel regardless of their location.
According to the secnav instruction 5720.47B department of the Navy policy for content
of publicly accessible world wide websites memorandum by under secretary of the Navy Dionel
M. Aviles (2005), the need to provide public information to the Navy’s and Marine Corps’
various audiences must be balance with the need to protect operational security, privacy of
information, information security, and personal safety (Background section, para. c, p. 2).
The first policy within the secnav instruction 5720.47B states it is a command prerogative
to authorize public communication when a command website is established for public access.
Websites with a history of security problems, distracting to personnel, and has no relevance in
accordance with Navy operations is access restricted within the Navy workplace. Official Navy
websites require passwords, encryption codes, and innovative security programs when operating
within the Internet. Access to these official websites limit attempts before receiving temporary
access restriction when wrong information is input. Moreover, the department of defense
monitors, records, and investigates (if necessary) Internet traffic to and from 24 hours daily.
Employee E-Mail Regulation and Internet Privacy
Laws currently allow employers to review employee e-mail message content because the
systems belong to the employer. Hence employers can monitor e-mail traffic internally and
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externally to and from organization computers. Instant chat message traffic and web base e-mail
accounts have limitations when conducted on organization computers. A majority of companies
as of the present time have employees append his or her signature upon acknowledging official
policies that regulate the organization’s network and computer usage within the workplace. This
is an explicit policy used only for work-related endeavors giving employers reasonable rights for
monitoring employee’s computer activities and email usage.
Organization E-Mail and Internet Use Policy
Organizations implement e-mail and Internet use policies for many reasons. Protecting
organization resources and security enhancement are just two reasons. Another sensible reason
is to safeguard the organization Internet technology (IT) network infrastructure and enhance email security within the workplace. The policies assist in preventing employees from
unintentionally downloading spy-ware and computer viruses on company computers from
pornographic websites. Additionally employee e-mail can affect the company adversely when
communicating externally. A leak of secret organization information can quickly impact a
company negatively and potentially cost the organization thousands perhaps millions of dollars.
Monitoring employee e-mail activities and Internet usage has merit favoring the
company. Social websites have grown in popularity throughout the Internet spanning
worldwide. Organizations expect employees to use company resources and the majority of his or
her work time engaging on social websites such as FaceBook, YouTube, and twitter. To
counteract employee misuse of company time and resources companies implement these email
and Internet use policies. These policies are to ensure employees do as they are paid to do.
Employee Assumptions
E-mail is not private as many employees assume. As employees assume privacy they
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tempt to use e-mail for private benefit aside from using e-mail for organization tasks. Similarly
some private tasks such as phone calling, text messaging, and web accessing on cell phones
employees conduct while working remains under scrutiny. Employers gain access to e-mails
sent and received through various forms of electronic data transmission when employees are
using company computers. However, as oppose to e-mail and Internet monitoring organizations
seek permission from courts of law for any phone call recording case.
Employee Privacy
Privacy policies profoundly affect employees within the workplace. For example,
employees believe they are violated and infringed upon in the workplace because of company
security video monitoring. Security video monitoring is a crime deterrent to lessen internal theft
cases. Security video cameras have limits in the work environment, but are prohibit in areas
such as washrooms.
According to Cox, Goette, and Young in the Workplace surveillance and employee
privacy: implementing an effective computer use policy report: Employees accept that some
websites simply aren’t accessible and therefore don’t attempt to use them. System administrators
use filtering software to monitor email and Internet traffic, to stem unapproved use of IT. Thirdparty email programs, Internet radio websites, and many e-commerce websites are not accessible
on corporate computer networks (Implications section, para. 3, p. 7).
Conclusion
E-mail and Internet use policies implementation is reasonably important from the
employer’s perspective and employees should not think confinement. Informing employees of
organization’s monitoring techniques is not a requirement by law, but sharing the facts about
monitoring the workplace is sensible for employers to discuss with employees to avert
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misunderstanding, mischief, and distrust.
Employees expect to possess some privacy in the workplace until employees provoke
employers to have legitimate reason to pry into personnel e-mail accounts. Organizations
implement computer, e-mail, and Internet use policies to monitor resource usage because of
historical events involving liability legalities, productivity losses, and bandwidth drainage.
Necessary steps to minimize employees negative action externally influences managers and IT
professionals to lessen problems.
Workplaces typically using high surveillance technology are in cultural trouble because
of lack trust. Misuse of data collected from monitoring subject organizations to liability.
Without proper corporate governance, checks and balances employers may abuse monitoring.
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References
Aviles, D. M. (2005). Department of the navy policy for content of publicly accessible world
wide web sites. SECNAV INSTRUCTION 5720.47B. Department of the Navy, Office of
the Secretary, 1000 Navy Pentagon, Washington, D. C. 20350-1000. Retrieve from
www.navy.mil/navydata/internet/secnav5720-47b.pdf
Cox, S, Goette, T. & Young, D. (2000). Workplace surveillance and employee privacy:
implementing an effective computer use policy.
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