Question

What is the relationship between autonomy and privacy within the workplace? What kinds of personal information do employees have an obligation to reveal to their employers? What kinds of information do the employers have an obligation to reveal to their employees? ( min 500 words)

Answer 1

Privacy protects the individual interest of people in autonomy because it carves out a space around individuals in which they can direct their lives as they see fit irrespective of social and political pressures within the workplace: informational privacy restricts access to an individual’s personal data by setting limits to the acquisition of personal data of employees. The lack of privacy in an employee’s workspace in an organization can hinder a working person’s sense of autonomy, giving them less control over their working environment, and causing their productivity to suffer. The lack of personal privacy inhibits personal development and self-expression, and can disrupt a person’s thought processes within an organization. Businesses whether they are small or large have to deal with workplace security of the information to maintain autonomy of the employees. Without privacy and autonomy and clear thoughts concentration wanders to everything else except what an employee is supposed to be working on. If businesses want happy, and efficient employees who get the job done on time and get along with their fellow coworkers, for this privacy is important and privacy gives an autonomy to the employees which help them to perform efficiently and effectively at the workplace.

Personal information do employees have an obligation to reveal to their employers are as follows-

1. Educational qualification- reveals the accurate educational qualification is very important for employers to know, because it helps employers to make decision whether to hire or not hire that particular employee.

2. Name and address- correct name and communication address reveal to employer is an obligation of an employee.

3. Health related issues, if that can affect the employee’s performance at workplace. For example: if an employee has some medical history that not allow him to perform lifting of heavy things and that employee applied for the job of goods lifter in an organization, then it is his responsibility to reveal that health related issue to the employer.

4. About cases in the court (if still pending, no final verdict came), cases can be criminal, service related, or fraud cases, etc.

Kinds of information that the employers have an obligation to reveal to their employees are as follows-

1. Information about the job which is offering to the employees- information about job includes job description, required skill sets and incentives or salary that organization offers for that job.

2. Accurate information about the company, what business it is doing, who are its partners in business, and about the owners of the company, their work profile and name.

3. About goals, policies, rules and regulations, that company follows. It is important for an employee to know because then they can work accordingly and can also decide whether they want to work with that organization or not.

4. Benefits that company provides to its employees- benefits include fringe benefits, monetary benefits, or non-monetary benefits.

5. Chances of growth and development for each position should also be clear and in knowledge of employees.

6. About privacy, autonomy and safety standards attached to the job profile.