What Does Business Law State about Monitoring Employees?

29 January 2016

Occasionally, we come across many individuals that are conflicted about the role monitoring applications have to play in the day to day office routines and activities. The most common question asked deals with the boundaries and limits that are “bendable” with the installment of monitoring applications. And the answer is simple; monitoring applications and software programs are legal and frequently advised to be installed in any firm or company. Here is why.

Contents

1 Legal but…
2 Informing Employees Beforehand
3 Only Limited to Company Owned Gadgets
4 Using Reliable Technological Sources
5 Balancing is key
6 Never Resort to Open Slander

Legal but…

Monitoring or spy applications are legal in any court of law across the world. However, there are some regulations that need to be upheld by the employers’ side before installing monitoring software around the company premises. These guidelines include:

Informing Employees Beforehand

When it comes to employee monitoring applications, every court of law strictly states that the employees should be clearly notified about being monitored. The best way to accomplish this is via policies and guidelines that should be always kept on display within office premises. These guidelines should clearly explain every element of the employee monitoring intervention put forth by the company. Moreover, even when the firm decides to take on new employees, they should adjust a clause in the contract which makes it mandatory for every person being hired to sign a nondisclosure stating that they are alright with being monitored on company-related matters.

Only Limited to Company Owned Gadgets

Monitoring software programs tend to give employers an unwarranted power over the employees. And to protect the employee’s interests, legal guidelines regarding monitoring apps clearly state that the spying should be only limited to company-owned gadgets. This means that every information coming in and going out through the company-owned gadgets are company property. The guidelines placed around the office premises should also clearly pinpoint this clause so that it poses as a reminder at all times. Furthermore, it is also recommended that the employers get their employees to sign a nondisclosure agreement that clearly states that all information on the company owned gadgets is company property. This means it can be used by the company in court if need be as well.

Using Reliable Technological Sources

When another’s a source of income and image in the business world is on the line, it is always best to be careful and use reliable technological sources and software programs rather than the usual cheap ones. The expensive yet well-reputed ones can be easily programmed and altered according to the specific needs of the company, hence always used for easy access and usage.

Balancing is key

Putting so many restrictions and highlighting many stingy clauses regarding monitoring applications like TheOneSpy mobile spy software around the office can definitely scare an employee and hence hinder their overall productivity. This is primarily due to the lack of rapport that should be there between the employee and employer to help increase profits as employee motivation grows. Therefore, it is always recommended by experts to use a system that is similar to a token economy where the employees are given some leeway and flexibility in some areas while at the same time restricted in some too. For example, allowing them access to specific social media sites during a few designated hours of the day.

Never Resort to Open Slander

It is never healthy to insult or accuse an employee openly among their peers. And with monitoring applications installed, there will be many times that the system may show you red flags which in reality are nothing but some mishap with the coding of the monitoring application itself. Therefore, rather than losing your cool and openly slandering a perfectly loyal employee, it is always best to take them aside or discreetly conduct a further investigation either with their knowledge of it or without it. This is because an employee can otherwise sue you for slandering their image followed by wrongful termination which would prove bad for your company’s image.

The law about monitoring applications is specifically made to protect both the employees as well as the employers in case of any mishap or misunderstanding between the two parties. While it may look like the employers have all the power with monitoring applications installed, but in reality, analysis has shown that monitoring applications have been found to be more useful to employees. For example, if an employee faces discrimination at the hands of another employee or employer, they can use the backup made by monitoring applications to highlight the wrongful act in court.

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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5 Steps To Launching Your Own Small Business

Commencing a business of your own is a dream for many in such a high-paced environment where competition is always on the rise.However, it is not as overwhelming as it sounds. With the right set of knowledge and planning, one can easily learn how to start your own small business. While you get started on the journey, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. This article will walk you through the 5 important steps that help you build a brand right from scratch. So, make sure you scroll till the end and discover the unknown business tips. 5 Steps To Follow When Starting A Small BusinessBefore actually starting to build a business, you have to get a detailed analysis of the market, your competitors, and the things that have been trending in this particular niche. If you conduct a thorough study on this, there’s absolutely nothing that can stop you from becoming an entrepreneur. 1. Research All of Your VariablesThis might seem obvious, but it's really not. Most people understand they need to research how to deliver the services or goods they intend to provide and how to advertise to the right customer base. It goes further, though.The kind of industry you would do best in and the business model that best suits your area and target marketplace are also variables to consider. You might know what you can do, generally, from your skill set, but you need to get specific about what your area needs and where it is underserved if you want to count on bringing in customers quickly.Look at the cost of setting up a company, leasing compared to buying operational space, costs for local advertising, and recommendations for staffing while you are at it. The more knowledge you have going in, the better your chances of success once you get things going. Running a company is all about building consistent processes for regular tasks, and you need research to understand which processes will be productive, too.2. Assess Your Financial ReachWithin any industry, there are players that work as individual professionals or owner-operators, and there are large corporations providing service at volume. Frequently, the latter are the biggest customers for the former. The scope of your company at startup is defined by the resources you can bring to bear.Understanding how much financing you can get with your available assets and capital will help you understand how to set up your company for day-one operation by putting realistic limits on things like equipment, utilities, payroll and the number of employees you can start with. You can make the most of this reach by getting the best small business loan rates you are qualified for, and that takes even more research to discover.3. Choose a Business ModelOnce you understand what you can do with your skills, what size company you can afford to start, and where the demand is, the next step is to pick a model of operation. The model is different from the business. For example, you might want to start a restaurant. What kind? Fine dining, carryout, and mobile food service, all have different operations with different processes needed to be successful. Matching your model to your ability to reach customers and meet their needs is just as important as finding raw demand for a product or service.With a variety of options available, it might be a little confusing for you. So sit back, relax, and think about what kind of business will yield you the desired result. 4. Write a Killer Business PlanWriting your business plan is pretty much the last step in the preparation phase before you actually start launching the company. It serves as a roadmap to your goals as well as an important document for lenders to consider when you apply for financing.A well-written plan should spell out enough about your operation to let your key personnel make autonomous decisions in their spheres of influence. That means your managers should not need to consult you when setting up their departments. In solo operations, it means that you should not need to do extra research outside of consulting your plan unless something unforeseen happens.Your plan should describe the major operations, layout marketing tactics to reach the initial audience with demand and to keep growing from there, identify the equipment you'll need, and otherwise cover everything that goes into actually running the company. That makes it a lot easier to put the pieces together.5. Put It All Into MotionThe first step after finishing your plan is usually financing because that gives you the financial reach to start operating. There are just a few cases where that is not the case. Solo operations can sometimes bootstrap basic services to get a little income going by working out of the house or a client's facilities. Otherwise, it's a matter of lining up the money, then buying the equipment and hiring any staff you need. Last comes marketing and launch. It is always a better idea to keep a dedicated portion of your income aside to fund your business, irrespective of its size. Businesses are full of ups and downs, and once you have set foot, there is no backing off. As a result, you have saved a significant amount of your finances to back up your persistent losses. Upon completion of these steps, you might want to allocate a part of your economic resource to bring the necessary equipment for your business. This will streamline your operations and will ensure that your business operates seamlessly. Key TakeawaysStarting your own business takes not only a great deal of money but also time and effort. However, it can also be extremely rewarding when done in the right way. Make sure to follow the above steps that will guide you throughout your business-setup process. For detailed insight, you can always consult a licensed professional for business advice. Get started today!Read Also:Essential Investments Small Business Owners Should Make For Long-Term SuccessResolutions To Help The Small Business Owners To Avoid Being BankruptHow You Can Invest In Your Small Business

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Prospective buyers find these as ‘attractive’ reasons to buy a business.It may be harder to sell a business if you tell the buyer that you’re selling the business due to its sorry financial state, persistent losses, lack of manpower, and changing market conditions and trends.Make your business easily marketable by timing your sale properly. Show positive attributes to make it more marketable such as a strong customer base, increased profitability, consistent good financials, well-defined business processes, and a good contract. Plan your sale Prepare your business at least two years ahead of the sale, especially if you won’t enlist a broker. Have an ample amount of time to improve your client base, business structure, and financial records. This will help improve the value of your business and make it more attractive to buyers. This should also help ease the transition process. Get your business appraised Once you’re ready to sell, you need to decide on the worth of your business. 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Custom Standup Pouches for Small Businesses

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