Comments on: When Is It OK to Spy on Workers?

By: Olivia

Olivia — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:31:02 +0000

When you really get down to it - the employee used his work computer account and his insider’s work knowledge to do something that made the employer unhappy. For this, the punishment was the severance of the working relationship.
It isn’t like he lost his ability to make money, or to pursue other employement, or exercise his private rights in any way. If the company had fired him for expressing his own private opinions about something non-work-related on his own time on his own computer, I would argue otherwise. \

By: joebuilder

joebuilder — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:54:52 +0000

Let’s put together a hypothetical situation here.
Let’s say that the employee knows the code to magicaly disarm the entire United States Military, rendering the nations defenses absolutely useless. As this person’s employer, you are responsible for ensuring that this information is kept secure. Then it comes to your attention that this person who holds the key to the nation’s defense system is talking to terrorists. What is your responsibility as that employer?
Do the rights of that individual override the importance of keeping that information secure?
In my humble opinion, that employer has a responsibility to the entire nation to use whatever means necessary to keep that information secure… and I do mean by ANY means necessary.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:17:59 +0000

I recently had my privacy intruded on by the corporation that I worked for. I had my Myspace viewed by members of management in which I had voiced somethings to my friends about the corporation. The violation occurred due to the fact that personal Myspace pages are against company policy to view while at work. Therefore, they had no right to view my page especially since it was set to private. I think corporations are going beyond the law to get into the personal lives of the employers. I don’t care how much money you pay me, it does not buy my right to free speech when I am off the clock. Once I leave the office, you no longer have the right to control me.

By: Larry Daigneault

Larry Daigneault — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:54:05 +0000

Corporate management more often than not will abuse even legitimate powers to intimidate and retaliate. If they think an employee is leaking classified material, the government should be notified immediately. True spies industrial or otherwise, are most often the employees management likes most, as these people work to allay the fears of management by brownnosing. Indeed America’s narcissistic management reinforces the scenerio, a trend matching the increase of corruption, including unwarranted compensation with the decrease in competence.

By: MiMi

MiMi — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:52:22 +0000

It is possible that Boeing, being a government contractor, has been awarded classified projects. If awarded a government contract, the contractor is trusted with the government’s intellectual property (engineering data, etc) and are required to protect that information with measures beyond those in the commercial/private sector. They are charged with export regulations. Under those circumstances, with reasonable cause, a government contractor has the obligation to investigate. I wouldn’t want to be the one to have to answer why an investigation wasn’t performed and allowed trade secrets to fall into the wrong hands.