Employers already have the power to monitor employees' private communications.
With the HRA's passage into law, however, the British government had been expected to introduce rules requiring employees to agree to such monitoring. The body is recommending that the government draw up a code of practice to warn employees of their company's policy on e-surveillance. The new rules have also outraged civil liberty groups. They're trying to please businesses rather than protect privacy of employees. Under guidelines announced Tuesday, companies will be allowed to intercept emails and phone calls in order to combat unauthorised use, carry out quality control checks and detect criminal activity.