August 29, 2003
Reading the technological tea Leaves
Human resources departments are just beginning to rewrite policies and handbooks in order deal with emerging technology such picture phones, videophones and PDAs that will soon be able to play full-length movies, reports Central Daily.
Policies that prohibit employees from tape recording, videotaping or taking pictures on company property are becoming commonplace. Those guidelines will almost certainly hold up in court when expanded to cover pornographic materials downloaded to an employee's personal cell phone, if viewed in the workplace.
"In the days before e-mail, you never had harassment that contained electronic correspondence. Now, nearly every harassment case contains an allegation of a harassing e-mail. This is one of those things, some would say, employers have a duty to monitor." says Ron Chapman Jr., a Dallas employment lawyer.
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