Hi Everyone,

This is my presentation on my research paper for the course. I wasn't able to insert audio:( Please refer to my slides' notes.

Abstract

Do employees have the right to privacy in the workplace?

While many employees feel that they have the right to privacy in the workplace, many employers, whether willing to explicitly state it or not, feel differently. Despite many laws in place to safeguard against such privacy violations, the District of Saanich found itself amidst much ethical controversy following their secret monitoring of incoming Mayor, Richard Atwell. A formal investigation into the matter revealed that BC Privacy Law had in fact been violated; yet none of the responsible parties were brought to justice. This case presented grave implications not only on law and justice, but also on the democratic system itself – especially considering who had actually been punished for the transgression.

This paper investigates the ethics of monitoring employees in the workplace. An exploration of employee monitoring from the perspective of the employee will be compared to that of the perspective of the employer. It supports by a detailed account of a specific case within the District of Saanich in which an incoming Mayor was monitored via Spector 360; a computer software intended for the oversight and recording of all information viewed and worked on by an employee. An analysis of the ethics of the violation of BC Privacy Law follow with references to the official investigation conducted by the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham. The ethics of the issue is further examined by presenting evidence of the wrong-doing and establishing the guilty parties in contrast to who was actually punished for the transgression. Following, implications of the case on the democratic system are explored and conclusions are drawn. 

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