We have reached an era where our job locations are becoming a second home, but is this a pro or a con?
When it comes to talking about employee rights, we’ve come a long way. Moving past oppressive and gray office jobs, we have reached an era of welfare for employees and the many colors that come with it.
In the 21st century, when we’re just about to start a new decade, most jobs have employees that are treated more and more as they deserve and not as indentured servants. However, this doesn’t mean that everything is freedom or debauchery in the office. Nowadays, it’s not rare that are no hierarchies or that everyone in a company enjoys the same benefits. After all, employers are still free to make decisions about rest shifts or the people they want to hire.
Beyond this, there is currently an ongoing debate as to how much privacy is appropriate for employees. Offices and work cubicles are monitored, and work tools such as computers are still the property of company owners after all.
There are even companies where the employee is not only being observed during their work hours but also on watch over anything that they can publicly post on social networks. It’s not uncommon to hear from people who were fired for having made an inappropriate joke about their bosses on their personal Twitter account, just to give an example.
So, to the question becomes: Do employees have any expectations of privacy at work?.
The short answer is no. Employers can legally monitor a worker’s email, text messages, and the websites someone visits when they’re on a company-owned device or network.
You cannot really avoid this fact, but it’s good to know right now the main focus of companies is the well-being of their employees, regardless of whether they enjoy enough privacy in their workplace or not.
