Why Companies Spy on Employees

If you work for a company, especially a larger entity, chances are you're being spied on. Companies are in business to make money, and managers want productive employees. Concerns over litigation and keeping company secrets also drive spying, according to the 2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey released in February 2008 by the American Management Association (AMA).

See Also: 15 Fun Work Toys

How Your Employer Spies on You

With today's electronic technologies, employers can keep tabs on you many ways. Here are the top ten ways we've found you're being monitored:
1. RFID (Radio Frequency ID) Cards
2. In-Office Cameras
3. Office E-Mail
4. Office Phones
5. Mobile Phones
6. Office Computers
7. Office Networks
8. Printer Servers
9. Google Alerts
10. Black Boxes

Tracking You At Work

The ID card that grants you access to your company's building may have a radio transmitter embedded in it. Your assigned card (issued by 52% of employers) gives the boss the ability to verify when you arrive and leave... even how long you stay on a coffee break.

WARNING: Don't fib on timesheets, because cross-referencing against ID logs will rat you out.

Eye In The Sky...or at least on the ceiling.

Almost half of companies surveyed by the AMA utilize video monitoring. Mostly cameras are used to counter theft and prevent sabotage. However, 7% of employers do use cameras to track employees' on-the-job performance. Most employers do notify their staff of video use, so at least you'll know you're being watched.

See Also: 10 Things You Should Never Do At Work

You've Got Mail... But Your Boss Has It Too

28% of surveyed employers fired workers for e-mail misuse. Of those fired, 62% were canned for inappropriate or offensive language, 26% for excessive personal use, and 22% for breaking office confidentially rules.

WARNING: If you use company e-mail, your manager has access to all your mail, even those you've deleted.

See Also: Handling a Sticky Situation With Your Boss

The Office Phone Is Your Office's Phone

45% of employers monitor the time employees spend on the phone, and the numbers they call. About 16% record phone conversations, while 9% monitor employee voicemail. These activities led 6% of employers surveyed by the AMA to fire workers for misuse of the phone.

WARNING: Don't use your office phone for personal matters.

The Mobile Phone Connection

If your employer provides you with a cell phone or pays your personal cellular bill, they have the right to monitor your cell behavior, including text messages. (Ask the mayor of Detroit about the importance of old text messages!) Electronic billing makes building call data spreadsheets a snap, and these easily reveal non-business calling patterns.

WARNING: Don't use a company-paid cell to call your honey or your company's archrival.

Office Computers -- Every Stroke You Take

If you work on a company-provided computer, your boss may be monitoring your every keystroke in real time. He or she can see how quickly you work, where you surf, and what programs you're using. Everything you do on your company computer can be tracked, and nearly half of companies surveyed are tracking and saving this data.

WARNING: Don't do anything that is against company policy while on their computer.

Tracking Through Office Networks

Computers are complex, but office networks are even more so. Companies manage networks carefully to promote productivity, and use software blockers to keep you away from inappropriate or time-wasting websites. Networks can even have alarms built in to alert employers when you're doing something you shouldn't, like downloading sensitive company files or listing your baseball cards on e-Bay.

See Also: Top 10 Jobs in Information Technology

Thieves At The Printer

Need to print out a term paper or glossy color photos of your kids? Our advice is to print everything that's yours at home. To control costs, companies are turning to "informed printing" software that monitors how much each employee prints, and actually remembers individual print jobs.

Google Might Turn You In

Let's say you've had a bad day at work, and you write about your dunderhead boss on a blog about idiot managers. As Google's content spiders crawl through the web, your boss gets alerted that his name showed up on a blog. He reads it and you get busted.

WARNING: Google is a powerful tool. Don't write anything on the web that you don't want your employer to read.

See Also: 13 Things Not to Share with Your Co-workers

Black Box Tracking

The so-called "Black Boxes" (like those used on commercial airline flights) have been used in the trucking industry for more than a decade. These devices use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to track a vehicle's movement, and can even e-mail an employer if a vehicle is off course, speeding, or being driven recklessly. Only 8% of companies monitor their vehicles, but the trend is growing. With these systems, your boss will always know where your vehicle is.

Hot Topics on AOL Jobs

-- 10 Ways Your Desk Is Killing Your Career
-- Women Only: Office Bathroom Etiquette
-- Best Paying Jobs
-- 10 Things You Should Never Do At Work
-- 13 Things Not to Share with Your Co-workers