Privacy in the Workplace

Privacy in the Workplace
    Explain where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy in the workplace.    
    Privacy in the workplace can reasonably be expected in three general areas as it relates to the employer, co-workers, clients and customers.     When an employee is hired at a new company, there are several security measures that are already in place in order to keep their personal information private and/or confidential.   The first being in the Human Resources Department where all the information is gathered by the employee filling out various forms of that are confidential in nature.   This information is kept in the employee’s private, confidential employee folder in the Human Resources Department, generally in a locked cabinet or other secured areas.   This ensures that no one other than the Human Resources Department can get access to the information other in the file.   At times, special permission is granted for a manager to review the file for a specific reason, along with the Human Resources representative.     The second place where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy is in the computer mainframe where all the pertinent records (such as social security number, address, date of birth, banking information, etc.) are stored.   This is used primarily for an employee’s timekeeper administration and government reporting purposes.   Only key personnel such as Human Resources, Accounting and IT have access.   There are also different levels of access allowed based on the need to see the data.
    Another area of where an employee can reasonably expect to have privacy from their co-workers is in their private workspace areas.   This allocated space is where an employee places their personnel belongings in a drawer, cupboards or lockers.   This also assures reasonableness for the freedom to personalize one’s workstation with pictures, trophies and not having to keep their coffee cup in the drawer leaving no personal belongings visible as...