A new code of practice on monitoring employee use of e-mail and the
Web at work has created more confusion for government IT directors,
it was claimed this week.
The code, from the Office of the E-envoy, places greater emphasis
on government workers' privacy than past guidelines and represents
a significant shift in thinking on workplace monitoring.
But its publication months ahead of separate guidelines on
workplace monitoring from the Office of the Information
Commissioner (OIC), will put IT directors in a quandary, the local
government IT directors' association Socitm said.
"Human resources staff and IT managers are faced with a dilemma
over the e-envoy guidance or waiting for the OIC guidance," said
Terry Street, data protection adviser to Socitm.
The guidelines warn against wholesale monitoring of employees'
e-mails and are more restrictive than guidelines under the
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The e-envoy's office said the code was drawn up after discussions
with the OIC.