Ochrana súkromia zamestnanca
E-book
Jana Žuľová(ed.)
Proceedings from the 1st Annual Student Symposium on Labor Law held on April 8–9, 2016 in Danišovce
Discussions on the topic of privacy are currently very topical and interesting. The advancement and progress of technology have added a new dimension to individual privacy. With the use of modern electronic devices, terms such as precious commodity, chimera, or illusion are increasingly associated with privacy. Workplaces have not remained immune to modernization either. Machines are replacing human labor, programming and planning the production process, but also controlling, monitoring, and recording the fulfillment of assigned work tasks.
The availability of technology and its implementation in employers’ operations intrude upon the personal and private sphere of employees, which is an inherent part of every person’s life and does not remain left behind the doors of the workplace. Proper and correct use of monitoring mechanisms by employers means not only mastering their technical installation at the workplace and covering the associated financial costs, but also respecting the privacy of employees.
It cannot be overlooked that the right to privacy is among the fundamental human rights and freedoms, enjoying the corresponding characteristics (inalienability, non-transferability, irrevocability, etc.) and appropriate legal protection. And even though it is not absolute and may be suspended in favor of another right (especially the employer’s right to protect their property), every intervention—such as comprehensive camera surveillance, monitoring of phone calls, email correspondence, blocking certain websites, etc.—always has adverse consequences for the privacy of the employee.