Chapter: Workplace Surveillance, Privacy, and Distributive Justice

Quote:

For the individual, privacy secures autonomy, creates social capital for intimacy, and forms the basis of structuring many diverse social relations. It is generally accepted that it is in the interest of the individual to have maximum control over her privacy – here taken to be the freedom from the appropriate judgement of others. For the collective or institution, transparency secures control and thereby efficiency of resource allocation and utilization as well as creating mechanisms for disciplinary intervention. It is generally accepted that it is in the interest of the collective or institution to have maximum control over surveillance – here taken to mean subjecting all individuals in the institution to reasonable scrutiny and judgement. If the individuals are given an absolute right to privacy, they may act only in their own interest and may thereby defraud the institution.

What I expect to learn:

To know how to deal with workplace surveillance

Review:                    

Why would anyone want to spy use even during our work hours? – Assurance.

It may not occur or it may not be something you will probably hear every day but workspace surveillance does happen and is being continuously implemented especially now. At first, I found it inappropriate because I would not want anyone to see me while I am working and it will be uncomfortable to have one eye on me 24/7 and redirecting my images to a room with two guys eating doughnuts as though my live feed is some kind of entertainment. Who in the world would not get irritated with that? But here is the side of the great company we may eventually work with in the future, “it’s for your own protection”  but the truth is, it is for their protection. I really don’t think surveillance in everyone’s workspace should be implemented because it is irritating, uncomfortable, and simply an intrusion of privacy that should be given by the companies to their employees because they can’t always put an eye on their employees or else they will feel too strangled with the corporate reasons and watch that it will become hard for them to work. If the institution I given a complete right to transparency, it may strip the individual of autonomy and self-determinations by making inappropriate judgements that only serve its own interest.

What I learned:

·         Definition of surveillance in the workspace

·         Definition of privacy and justice

·         Resisting workplace surveillance

·         Privacy as a matter of justice

·         Privacy, surveillance, and distributive justice

o    From individual perspective

o    From the perspective of the collective

o    Self-interested individuals

·         Conclusion

·         Some implications

Integrative Questions:            

1.    What is surveillance?

2.    Why do we need workplace surveillance?

3.    Is there a need for surveillance in the workspace? Explain.

4.    What is justice?

5.    What is distributive justice?