Case 4-3: A Glance into the Future: Your Computer Knows Case 4-3: A Glance into the Future: Your Computer Knows 1. Do you think Microsoft’s patent application should be approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office? Why or why not? I do not think that Microsoft’s patent application should be approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because the application is almost like a “spy” software. It goes beyond the rights of privacy of employees. There is nothing wrong with monitoring the performance but the proposed software is already monitoring the body system of an individual, which I believe should no longer be the concern of the company.
As Hugh Tomlinson, an expert on data protection law puts it, “This system involves intrusion into every single aspect of the lives of the employees. It raises very serious privacy issues” (Mostrous & Brown, 2008). 2. Do you think monitoring of employees in this way is ethical or unethical? Legal or illegal? Explain. Monitoring of employees this way is outright unethical and illegal. It goes against the employee’s privacy and human rights. This is tantamount as putting the employee under surveillance which is illegal unless there is grave reason to do so.
Monitoring the physical health and bodily functions of an individual while at work is simply outrageous. In the first place, if there is any problem with the physical being of an employee, it must have shown up already in the pre-employment medical check-up, the results of which is known to the company. In fact, it is my belief that this system will adversely affect the performance of an employee instead of increasing his productivity. Usually the purpose of employers in monitoring their employees is to determine whether there is misconduct, threat of theft or if there is a breach in the contract of employment.
In this case, the monitoring system does not support any of these objectives because what is being monitored is strictly personal and physical. 3. Would you work for a company if you knew a computer system was monitoring your performance and measuring your vital signs? Why or why not? I do not think that I would like to work with a company which monitors my performance and vital signs. First of all, I think it is already an intrusion to my privacy. My vital signs are no longer the business of the company as long as I am doing my job.
Furthermore, if I knew that I was being monitored, the more my vital signs will be affected because of the tension it will bring me. If I am tense, the greater the possibility that I will not be productive on the job. If that happens, then the objective of the monitoring system would have failed. Moreover, there will always be that thought on my mind that the company might use the computer’s findings on my state of health against me or even be a basis for terminating me. Works Cited Mostrous, A.
, & Brown, D. (2008, January 16). Microsoft seeks patent for office 'spy' software. The Sunday Times . Retrieved 12 July 2011. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3193480.ece
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