"Do Employers Have a Right to Know How their Employees Feel?"?

Question

1. Imagine that you work in the HR department which is planning to install the SAS Human Capital Management system. How can you assure employees that the system will be used in an ethical and honest manner?

2. Under what conditions is it fair to use the information collected in the SAS Human Capital Management software?

Answer 1

The employer has an obligation to find out how their employees feel about the work place and to take those feelings into consideration when making policy decisions.

I understand your concern that some employers would abuse this information to "weed out" dissatisfied employees.

Answer 2

I guess it's not your system, so don't take this as my accusing you, but do take it as a warning that it put me on the defensive even thou I will not be affected directly by it.

1. You don't, and you better hope the system really is ethical and honest, and if it isn't then you're better off saying nothing.
> Perhaps this is an issue where speaking out may cost you your job, and I am very sorry the world is like this, but if it is wrong then it should not be in use.
2. I haven't a clue, don't you know the difference between right and wrong? And if so, you'll have to determine per each situation what would be fair use of information, spying wouldn't be one of them, but pre-screening likely would be, assuming it is used in said context.
3. This is one of many reasons I will never work for someone else again, the mere nature of these questions has my radar on high alert, ding ding ding ding ding ding....

Answer 3

1) By treating employees in an ethical and honest manner long before the installation of the SAS system, and continuing to do so after its implementation. Employees are by and large pretty attuned to the b.s. factor of their management and have learned to focus on deeds rather than words.

2) You don't specify what information the system is intended to collect so I assume it is a standard HRIS database. That data gets used to perform functions such as payroll processing, EEO reporting, salary grade and compression analysis, responding to employee questions and concerns, providing standard reports (new hires, turnover, terminations, attendance, etc.) to management and so on.

It does NOT get used to tell one's friends what other people in the company make, to give out personal data (address, phone, DOB, social) about employees, or to conduct or participate in any illegal, unethical, immoral, discriminatory, or suspicious behavior.

Do well on your exam......