Ethical Implications of Employee Monitoring in IT Sector

This report delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the use of information and communication technology for monitoring employees in the IT sector. It explores the arguments for and against such practices, examining the potential benefits like increased productivity, security, and adherence to workplace policies. Conversely, the report highlights the ethical concerns related to employee privacy, potential for abuse, and the impact on employee stress, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. The report emphasizes the importance of balancing the need for workplace monitoring with the protection of employee rights and the promotion of a healthy and ethical work environment. It also discusses the legal aspects of monitoring and the need for clear communication and transparency in implementing such practices.

ETHICS FOR IT PROFESSIONAL

Ethics for IT Professional
Using information and communication technology as an effective means of monitoring employees
Abstract
Ethic of an IT professional, comprises a code of practice that assists the professionals' in conducting their
business activities in an integrated manner and with honesty. A code of practice illustrates the practices
that are adopted by the professionals to regulate the activities that they perform in their profession.
Professionally, ethics that are conformed with by the IT industry workers, is majorly related to the
development of those softwares that promote ethical and value aspect and strictly prohibiting the illegal
activities related to Artificial Intelligence or development of IT professionals. Effective communications
help the employee to motivate themselves and this results in increasing efficiency in their work.
However, the communication technology also breaks the employee privacy and it brings violence among
the employees, where they might not feel comfortable. This report conveys that whether the IT
communication is good for the professional or not and evaluates the aspect related to ethicality of such
communication.
Key words: Information and communication technology, benefits of monitoring of employees, means of
employee monitoring, ethical communication for IT professionals.
INTRODUCTION
The advancement in the Information technology, is prevalent everywhere and integrated with
all the aspects, such as growth in business, communication, globalization, research and development
etc. One such place where the technology is used is the monitoring of the employees at workplace by
the employers. At some places the employees are unaware of being monitored, but the computers are
tracking their every activity continuously. Employee's each and every minute is recorded and evaluated
according to their activities. The tracking of the workers at the workplace is considered as important
because it maintains the rules and regulations of the organization. But it be should be according to the
Workplace Privacy Act. However, the employers are using such advanced technology to spy on their
employees, which shows a blatant disrespect of the employee's privacy. The monitoring of the
employees, in some aspects depicts the positive effects for an organization, while in some aspects, it is

not at all ethical. This paper aim to analyse this point rigorously and critically, where different and varied
aspects associated with the
Case For
According to Peltier (2016), purpose of information and communication program is to protect
the valuable information resources of the company and electronic monitoring of the employees at the
workplace is very necessary according to the workplace policies. Some employees have issues with that,
where they argue that, their employer is watching and keeping an eye on them, so they raise the
questions regarding their privacy and the various acts associated with it. But the monitoring of the
employees is purely legal and ethical in many ways, so first the employees need to understand the laws
related to the privacy because there are certain limits up to which these monitoring tactics can be used.
Monitoring should be up to a limit that is legally accepted at a working place, the CCTV cameras are
installed in office for surveillance, but it is available only at common areas, corridors, conferencing
rooms etc. These can't be used at restrooms and at some private places for employees. So it helps the
employer to monitor the status of the employee for the purpose of evaluating their work, so that they
can review the performance of the employee and then give feedback according to their performance
which can be evaluated through the recorded means. So the managers of higher authorities are not
bothered to take the decisions about the employee's performance and it will be a fair decision.
Next comes the purpose of monitoring the employees. There are a lot of reasons to spy on the
employees, i.e., checking if they are wasting their time in playing the online games, using social media
like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp etc. for their enjoyment at workplace and are spending less time
towards their work. Doing irrelevant task at workplace is not allowed. So the employees should be
aware of that. But tracking of their computers is essential and ethical. Employer inspects the activities of
the employees, so that the employees will not harm their property. Also, the employees do not have any
right to damage the employer's property. So the owner has right to evaluate and monitor the staff
accordingly.
As noted by Long, R.J., (2018) the employees are used to do their personal task at offices, and
they even leave offices in working hours, putting their work behind them. So the biometric machines or
punching cards are necessary to track the working hours in the office of the employees. The attendance
of the employee is tracked through these punch card or biometrics, so this makes easier for the
employer to pay the employee accordingly on the basis of attendance recorded which cannot be
interfered with. The websites used by the employee on their computer is tracked through the IP address
of the computers, its fine to access the employee's computer details, so the employer get to know

whether the employer is accessing the informative websites relevant to their work or not. The tapping
of the phone calls of the employees within the workplace, is another additional aspect so that the
employer is aware of their communication and ensure that the employee does not leak any private
information about the company. Employers have right to access the mails of the employees for privacy
issues. In offices the employees work according to the work policies and the employee should be aware
that their details are accessed under legal provision and by the responsible managers, i.e. there is need
for the employee to feel safe and it being an ethical aspect. All the data about employees is gathered for
the convenience of company.
The monitoring on the employees through the information and communication technology is a
right way to enhance the company's prestige in the market. The company would be able to take the
decision for their deal swiftly because they have idea about internal working environment and how
much they can achieve in what time, from the support of their employees. Employer can easily
communicate with the managers, employees in the company and get full information about the
production, marketing, manufacturing sales, etc. They can make decisions quickly to enhance their
business. Surveillance on the employees will keep them focused to work with dedication, because they
know that they are being noticed, and they put full dedication for their work. This leads to improvement
in the productivity, which in turns to profits.
As noted in Managing Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance, (2019) the employee who is
being watched will improve the customer assistance services in the company because if the employee
does not behave nicely with clients then it may affect the company's reputation and their fame might
lower down in the market. So the customer care executive should be monitored in the area of customer
meetings, as it will help to recognize the behaviour of employee with customers. And this helps to know
the customer who is satisfied with the employee or company. Communication and technology improves
the reach to the customers and help them to know about the company as their business growth.
Communication using technology helps in many ways for the development of the business in right way,
like many big projects can be handled from the remote location of the higher authorities, project teams
can communicate via video conferencing, mails, phones etc. And also monitor the employees from
remote location whether they are working on their projects properly or not. Also, ICT helps in
collaboration of teams from different location. They have report of their many employees working at
different places, so they can promote them.
The monitoring is essential in terms of security of the employees and also secures the office
thing from theft and many important documents should not go out from the office premises otherwise

its an offence under the criminal act. So monitoring the employees is helpful for the company's growth
and prestige.
Case Against
As per the view of Weibel, A and et.al., (2016) computer monitoring can be beneficial for the
employees, but in certain cases it has several disadvantages of the employee monitoring. It creates the
issues of privacy for the employee. Monitoring is destructive & potential for abuse exists in large scale.
Such as computer information bank, video monitoring and telephone monitoring and other techniques
that makes the private lives of the workers, easier to be delved in without detection . Information
concerning employees such as security clearance & computer applications that are preferred, whether a
person is left or right-handed and also the fact that how a user takes coffee for drinking is being
monitored, which is beyond the employee performance on job. Gathering of such information of the
employees and the manner in which it can be used is a point of great concern and the fact t hat who all
can access such information is of critical importance. As in, by using the technology it has been made
extremely easy to gather the private information and which can potential use the information against
the workforce. For example that data can be used to retaliate and discriminate by using it against the
employees or other dissidents to harass in the organization. Whereas the private information finds
source for a prospective or co-workers employees.
According to Holt and Littlewood (2015), the author speaks regarding the fairness of the
implement ion of computer monitoring. Here it is argued that the data gathered for the employee is
work related and is necessary for the organization but it creates impact on the employees as well. For
the quality of the work life. The firm may create an electronic sweat shop that can lead to an
unnecessary employee stress and pressure. Such stressful working condition that relate to the
monitoring which includes a repetitive task, social isolation and heavy workload. It creates the fear of
job loss and also lacks the personal control and job involvement. As for the communication, the
dissatisfaction level of the workers and the employees stress was reported to be higher for those
employees who were monitored regularly. Additionally, monitored employees report lesser control on
their jobs as it depicts the decreased fairness of more frequent work standards interactions through
difficult consumers.
As per the view of Omar, Nawawi and Puteh Salin (2016), it is argued that such stress and
pressure of computer monitoring have also been considered as great contributors in the employee's
physical health and psychological health complaints. As such monitoring over the employees shows that
more health complains are related to stiff wrists, shoulder pain, back, leg, arms, neck, stomach pain and

acid indigestion, depression, headaches, several fatigues, high tension and extreme anxiety. For
example-TWA reservation agent who worked for 30 years, after years of working in the company in
stress of constant monitoring, his health as well as work suffered, Agent sufferred from weakened
eyesight, sleep disturbance headaches, mental confusion, muscle aches and lymph node pain. Electronic
monitoring is also a drastic cause for the physical and physiological that complaints among the workers.
Such monitoring makes the employees feel like a prisoner who is hooked up to the computer, guilty,
enslaved, mistreated, violated, angry and driven at a relentless pace.
According to Pierce, Snow and McAfee, (2015), they says that because of continuous computer
monitoring over the employee, it may create negative impact on the workforce as their stress level can
increase and raise the job satisfaction, when the employees feel that have no control over the job as
they feel that the company keeps on monitoring and it means that they have lack of trust over the
employees in the work environment. Additionally, when the employees come to know that their
employers do not have adequate trust on them than it impacts their mental health harmfully. Such
monitoring can demotivate the employees from working to the team and the company goal. And when
the employees are monitored on the individual basis they are provided with an individual goal. By using
the information gathered through monitoring and dive the employees according to the individual goal
rather than group goal that can destroy the spirit of community among the employees.
As opinion by Yerby, (2013) found that too much monitoring leads to maintaining the work
stress rates higher. It spoils the service. As when the company keeps on monitoring the employee. It
makes the employee in more stress while doing the work. It creates the burden on the employees, and
they feel negative that they are continuously monitored by the employers and if they leave the place
while doing the place they can be monitored by the employers and such terror of the monitoring has
negative impact on the employee, where they tend to become depressed and tensed which can reduce
their performance level as well.
According to Newman, Nielsen, and Miao, (2015) employees activities are continuously
monitored by the employers where they are largely unprotected through personal privacy laws. As the
emails are considered as firm property, if employees send any information through the company's
system, it can be checked by the employers by their system which is not preferred by the employees as
many employees cross-check the message. Such cross-check many a time leads to employees dislike and
because of that they become dissatisfied from the continuous monitoring by the employers. And many a
time in Tele performance company, the employers keep on monitoring the employees which can create
a negative impact on the employees as many of the employees don't like such cross-checking. In this the

employers keep on listening to the communication between the customer and employee. Because of
this they also listen to many of the private information which were discussed between the employees or
customer. In such condition their personal information are also listened by the employers. Which the
employee don't like, and they became dissatisfied by such monitoring. Employees of the company are
always monitored by the employers where the firm email and the phone calls.
As illustrated by Lohr (2014), all are being monitored or recorded for the quality purpose of the
company. But new technology of monitoring for business track can be preferred, where the employers
listen the employees calls and go through the private mail of the employees while on the company time
which raises questions on the privacy of the employee. As all the privacy settings are mainly monitored
by the employers, this makes the employees fearful which can break the privacy of the employees and
that make the employee uncomfortable and always remain in depression so that their personal
information may be misused by the other persons and such negative feeling can decrease the
performance and also might result in employee turnover. The electronic monitoring often captures the
information from the computers, camera and the listening devices. Such information can be used
towards the employees that are accused of a violating organization policy, and which is a major concern
the privacy of the employees. However, it impacts on the physical integrity of the employees at the
workplace because of such monitoring the employees can't able to move here and their and
continuously have to remain seated at the constant place because of which they feel restricted or feel
completely uncomfortable and which may result in demotivating the employee.

Summary Diagram

Arguments on balance, conclusion and recommendations
From the above study it is concluded that employee monitoring is beneficial for both the
employees and the organization. It is concerned regarding the effect on the employees privacy and the
safety and health of the workers and the accuracy of measures. As the pressure over the employee can
be unending and particularly nerve racking, because of which it damages the psychological and the
physical well-being of the employee's. It also concluded that the employer's have the right to control on
the work environment and the work rates of the employees, to improve the efficiency of work and the
competitive position and try to fulfil the duty leading to creation of a safe environment. Both sides of
the computer monitoring are a valid concern about the violation of the privacy of employee.
IT should be used in the company as it bring the efficiency in work of the employee and for the better
communication among the employees and the staff which reduces the misunderstanding. Also,
Company should reduce the level of monitoring on the employee through many sources as it bring the
violence among the employees and thus keeping it only for the sole purpose of evaluating the security
measures and effectiveness. Use of IT is helpful for the firm for increasing convenience in process and is
beneficial for the success of the organization.

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