Discuss the following:
1) Class, since the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, more employment legislation in the area of equal employment opportunity (EEO) has become the law of the land. Choose one of the following acts and tell us its major provisions.
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
EEOC or other websites. Paraphrase and explain the following concepts about the law: who does it protect, from what kind of behavior, and from whom? Why was the law implemented, and do you agree with its necessity? Explain. If you or someone you know has been sued or filed suit using one of these laws, feel free to tell us about it if you want to do so!
2) Over the last few years, companies have begun relying significantly on technology to assist employees in handling their day-to-day operations. As a result, the work/home life has blurred, and people handle personal items (e-mail, Facebook, etc.) on company computers and company work (e-mail, texting, instant messages) on their personal devices (iPhones, Droids, laptops, tablets, etc.)
With this blending has come serious concerns by companies about their private company information falling into the wrong hands (customer lists, trade secrets, etc.), and employees have concerns about their privacy being invaded at work, by coworkers, and by their IT departments. Further, HRM handles immense amounts of personal information on employees, including home addresses, personnel records, pay information, SSNs, and more.
Therefore, privacy concerns comprise a two-way street. Laws have been passed (and are being passed and considered every day) by states and Congress to protect both parties. As an example, Illinois recently passed a law making it illegal for potential employers to require people to give them their social network passwords during interviews. Soon thereafter, other states passed similar laws.
What are some other technology privacy laws that apply to workers and employers in the United States? How do they protect employees from privacy invasion and how to they actually allow employers to invade the privacy of their employees? Is your personal e-mail safe at work if you use your company computer to read it? How about your personal phone calls on the company phones? Pick a concept and let's get started.