If they feel someone is violating this space, even legally, it's bound to create friction. Thus, you'll want to act carefully before sacrificing employee privacy in the name of productivity. This article weighs the pros and cons of monitoring employee Web and e-mail usage. It also discusses managerial considerations when implementing a monitoring system, including coordinating appropriate departments, notifying employees of surveillance policies, and addressing employee privacy concerns. For in-depth technical and legal details, please see the companion articles in this special report.
Companies can find several compelling reasons to monitor employee Internet and e-mail usage.
Number one is productivity, says Kevin Blakeman, president of SurfControl , a maker of Internet filtering software. Secondary to that is network bandwidth. And then there's legal and security aspects bringing up the rear. Productivity issues are clearly tied to money. Second to production is preserving bandwidth resources.