There are now many office technologies which have the potential to increase surveillance of office workers. These technologies include the standard telephone (now networked in a very sophisticated way), electronic mail, voice-mail and the Internet itself. In this brief paper I wish to focus on electronic mail since it has become on of the most popular and ubiquitous 'new' office technologies. I will address four questions: what factors promote surveillance of office workers; how does electronic mail facilitate surveillance; what are some of the implications of electronic mail surveillance on workers; and, what can be done to counteract the problems of surveillance. My observations will be largely drawn from personal experience.

What factors promote surveillance of office workers?

There is a variety of factors that can promote surveillance in the typical office. First, new office technologies have characteristics that can enable surveillance to become a reality. With computing technology there is increased capability for information storage and monitoring. Likewise, the novelty of the technology leads users into exploring new communication patterns with little regard for their consequences. Management is able to utilise the storage capacity of networks for centralised purposes. Second, industrial restructuring has now become a major issue for many firms and organisations. In such an environment there is a need for as much information as possible on costs and transactions. There is a desire for control to manage change. Third, in restructuring organisations, no matter how popular the rhetoric of 'flat hierarchies', there are always real possibilities for management power differentials to exist. When one person or layer of management becomes powerful there is the possibility that worker rights could be ignored in favour of accountability or a 'good report' card. Finally, there is at present a lack of adequate practice with new technology. Laws and guidelines for privacy and surveillance have not been fully developed or tested and hence all sorts of doubtful practices can be come possible and condoned.

How does electronic mail facilitate surveillance?

Electronic mail facilitates surveillance in a number of ways. By providing a basis for storing written communications, information flow can be monitored centrally, hence promoting the potential of surveillance. Workers are all too keen to commit an increasing amount of formal and informal communication on electronic mail in the name of productivity and efficiency. As a result, the scope of electronic mail as a surveillance tool can be increased. Electronic mail also provides a degree of convenience that is attractive to users. Its conversational tone and semi-informal nature can mean that monitoring of content on a day-to-day basis becomes reasonably easy. Workers are often not made aware of this possibility. In addition, specific features of electronic mail, such as system monitoring, recorded log-on times, return receipt, blind carbon copy, address groups and message forwarding can facilitate surveillance.

What are some of the implications of electronic mail surveillance on workers?

The implications of surveillance on workers can be numerous. First, stress, lack of trust, falling productivity and conflict are recorded features of work environments where surveillance occurs. In instances where workers are informed that they are under surveillance, worker behaviour can change. Indeed, management may see these changes as desirable with little regard to workers' health or well-being. Second, security of employment can be threatened through electronic mail. Since all office communications can potentially be recorded and stored, all indiscretions are filed with the possibility that they could be used in cases of dismissal. This has occurred in some cases overseas. Third, a shift in the control of work enabled by electronic mail surveillance and monitoring can lead to a feeling of a lack of autonomy. This can act to reduce work productivity and can increase alienation from other workers and authority. Finally, if electronic mail is believed to be monitored, its effectiveness as a communication tool will be reduced as workers find other ways to communicate. This can increase costs to the organisation and it can also lead to paranoia. Workers may become suspicious of colleagues and other technologies as a climate of fear and suspicion grows.

What can be done to counteract the problems of surveillance?

With the above concerns in mind, I would like to suggest a number of ways in which the problem of electronic mail surveillance could be addressed. Increasing network security is one possibility but there is the obvious problem that a network supervisor with managerial authority can monitor network content at any time. Another alternative is education. Both workers and their unions need sound education about the surveillance possibilities of office technologies. Often, new technology is treated like a toy, ignored by unions in their quest for improved wages and conditions. This awareness needs to change. Finally, company policy on electronic mail and privacy needs to be developed so that it is in line with current legal practice. I believe that with these measures, a more considered approach to surveillance and electronic mail can be implemented. Without such an approach, the future will be dictated by management interests.