Question

Negative Announcements on Routine Matters: You can certainly sympathize with employees when they complain about having their email and instant messages monitored, but you are implementing a company policy that all employees agree to abide by when they join the company. Your firm, Webcor Builders of San Mateo, California, is one of the estimated 60 percent of U.S. companies with such monitoring systems in place. More and more companies use these systems (which typically operate by scanning messages for keywords that suggest confidential, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate content) in an attempt to avoid instances of sexual harassment and other problems.

As the chief information office, the manager in charge of computer systems in the company, you’re often the target when employees complain about being monitored. Consequently, you know you’re really going to hear it when employees learn that the monitoring program will be expanded to personal blogs as well.

Your task: Write a memo to be distributed to the entire workforce, explaining that the automated monitoring program is about to be expanded to include employees’ personal blogs. Explain that, while you sympathize with employee concerns regarding privacy and freedom of speech, it is the management team’s responsibility to protect the company’s intellectual property and the value of the company name. Therefore, employees’ personal blogs will be added to the monitoring system to ensure that employees don’t intentionally or accidentally expose company secrets or criticize management in a way that could harm the company.

Answer 1

Dated: November 13, 2018

To: All Staff Members

Re: Automated Monitoring Program

This refers to the existing electronic mail and instant message automated monitoring system in place to safeguard confidentialiy of company and individual communication.

We have observed that though the existing policy has to a large extent been effective in serving the stated purpose, more needs to be done with the changing face of online communication. The management has therefore taken a decision to also include "personal blogs" in the ambit of existing monitoring policy. However, it may be noted that this is in no way going to interfere or infringe on privacy rights of all company employees. The company strictly adheres to freedom of speech and is fully of supportive of privacy rights.

The extended measure is only to ensure no company intellectual rights are intentionally or accidently put in the public domain which may harm company interests.

I am sure all respected staff members will accept the additional measures taken by the management in the right spirit and co-operate, as always.

___________________

Chief Information Officer