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If you're an employer, you're probably concerned about how your employees are using company time, especially if you're running a small business. A new study by Ryerson University Professor Avner Levin has found that, using a variety of sophisticated techniques, Canadian companies have the capacity to monitor the movements of their employees, both offline and on-line. Levin says, "Technology is in place for pretty much every employer to monitor activities and messages that their employees are putting out".

A word of caution, though — privacy is a delicate issue, and it's one that should be handled with careful consideration.

Small business owners have reason to be concerned about how their employees are using their time. Sixty per cent of employees surf the Web for personal use while at work, and 70 per cent of all Internet porn traffic occurs during the 9-to-5 workday (a shocking statistic, I know). As a result, more small business owners are looking to technical solutions to help them monitor employee activity. Techniques employers are using vary from security card surveillance and closed circuit cameras, to GPS tracking in employee vehicles and computer monitoring.

There are a number of programs on the market that can aid you in monitoring employee Web and email use. Spector Pro 5.0 from SpectorSoft (www.spectorsoft.com) is marketed as an ideal choice for home users and small businesses. The software allows you to monitor email, chat, IM, keystrokes and Web browsing. Another option is SecurExchange from Canadian software maker NEMX (www.nemx.com). As a content control solution, SecurExchange works with Microsoft Exchange Server and prevents internal or external compliance violations. You can also use SecurExchange to safeguard personal, confidential or financial information from either deliberate or unintentional exposure in an email. Once the SecurExchange system is installed, it will ensure that all internal, incoming and outgoing messages meet the standards you set. It also offers real-time scanning of all messages that filter through the server, checking and preventing content violations before they occur. If you're also concerned about where your employees are spending time on the Web, GFi WebMonitor (www.gfi.com) is a program for the Microsoft ISA Server that allows you to monitor sites that users are browsing as well as what they're downloading.

In other words, Big Brother has arrived.

Now that we've taken a look at some surveillance software, let's examine the flip side of using this kind of technology. The Ryerson University study also found that many companies have weak privacy protection policies in place. As an employer, you have a right to monitor your employees' activities, but you can't do whatever you please. Be sure you check with a lawyer on what information you're allowed to collect and why. Streamline Counsel (www.streamlinecounsel.com), a Vancouver-based law firm that specializes in privacy compliance services, suggests privacy protection policies are elements of solid business practice. In other words, if you don't already have a privacy protection policy for your small business, get one. Failure to do so could result in negative media attention, and it could affect everything under your business umbrella, including not only employees, but also investors and customers.

Canadian legislation requires private sector organizations, even not-for-profit organizations, to have such policies in place. Employers should be sure to specify what kind of data they are collecting about employees and why, as well as what is to be done with the information. Fostering a workplace where privacy is valued and respected instills trust in employees and boosts morale. Because privacy laws vary by province, a good resource for privacy policies in your workplace is the Government of Canada site (www.privcom.gc.ca), where you can find information on how to handle employee privacy issues.

Another issue for employers that seems to be becoming more of a problem is the proliferation of on-line journals, commonly known as web logs, or blogs. Employees with an axe to grind have been known to vent their frustrations on-line through their personal blogs. What your employees need to understand is that, although personal, blogs still reside in the public domain, and as such, they can be read by anyone, including investors and media. Google, Microsoft and Wells Fargo have all reportedly terminated employees or contractors over the content of their blogs. In most of these cases, the bloggers were let go for any number of legitimate reasons, from criticizing the company or fellow workers, to disclosing embarrassing or confidential information. Blogging about work, especially on company time, is a big no-no, and your employees need to be educated on the potential danger of this practice.

I'm the first to admit that everyone needs a little downtime at work, especially during a particularly stressful week. However, your employees need to know that work is not a place to surf and blog the day away, and that you — like Orwell's Big Brother — just might be watching.