Ethics 8(1)

This week we are covering materials in Chapter 9, pages 326–360, regarding workplace environment. Privacy is an important part of our daily lives. For example, as a student, you should be aware of the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is a federal law protecting school records. Another well-known federal privacy act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), protects your health information. It is obvious that many individuals take for granted that their personal information will be safe and secure when doing business with small or large companies. However, over the past five years, security breaches have become a common occurrence.

There are rules and regulations that keep employee records, such as social security numbers, work evaluations, and other pertinent information secure. All these rules and regulations tend to benefit the employee or individual, but what about the company?

Let’s think for a moment about that. Should a company, regardless of size, be able to impose on its employees or customers policies regarding company privacy? Should a company have the right to regulate its employees’ activities on their off-the-clock time? Can an employee be held accountable for misrepresenting their employer on their personal social media accounts?

Your discussion post for this week is to provide your own opinion on the following questions.

• In today’s technologically advanced society, is there really privacy? Based on your own personal experiences with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, or Snapchat), do you feel that individuals should be held accountable for their actions outside of the workplace?
• Is it possible that, due to the technological advances in smartphones, tablets, and other communication devices, workplace and personal privacy have meshed to a point that what was once personal space is now fair game in hiring and firing practices?