The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Question: Does my employer have the right to monitor my computer use at school?

Answer: Yes. Arbitration decisions have repeatedly affirmed employers’ rights to monitor the technology they provide to employees and to discipline staff for inappropriate use of technology. This applies to technology provided for work, including stationary computers, laptops, cellphones and the Internet.

Teachers must be aware of the sophistication of monitoring programs used by employers. These programs track keywords or the number of images downloaded or stored, can retrieve all e-mails sent or received and Internet sites visited, and provide a breakdown of how often each site was visited, the length of each visit, the number of downloads and a sampling of the content. We know that some employees require cellphones and laptops to be reviewed periodically, not just stationary computers.

As for surfing the Web, the best approach is to consider whether you would feel uneasy if your employer viewed the content of a particular website over your shoulder. If you would, then avoid such sites when using the district’s hardware or Internet access.

As part of regular monitoring, school districts can monitor the amount of time teachers spend online and can get a breakdown of the type of activity they engage in. Employers are increasingly looking at issues related to the theft of time and whether teachers are online when they are supposed to be teaching or fulfilling administrative duties. Spending too much time e-mailing, blogging, posting on social networking sites or surfing the Web can have serious employment ramifications, as well.

Digital technology has changed the working landscape for teaching, just as it has for other occupations. Increasingly, teachers are experiencing employment and professional-conduct difficulties related to digital technology. Each week, the ATA’s Member Services staff work with teachers experiencing problems in this area. Don’t use your employer’s technology for inappropriate purposes. The consequences could have implications for your employment and even your certificate.

For a fuller discussion, my colleague Marv Hackman has written about this issue in “The double-edged sword of technology,” published in the ATA ­Magazine, Fall 2010—“Is the future friendly? New Media, Teachers and Education.”