Supervisor Disseminates Employee's Private Online Information Without Consent

Case Overview

This case involves an ongoing dispute between an employee and her direct supervisor. The employee had been her supervisor’s subordinate for 6 years and the two had developed a contentious working relationship. The supervisor secretly requested that an entry-level IT worker begin monitoring the subordinate employee’s online activity while in the office. Over the course of 9 months, the IT worker gathered screenshots and screen recordings of that employee’s computer activity and passed them onto the supervisor. Over 20,000 pieces of digital content were sent to the supervisor including personal emails. In one such personal email, the employee had corresponded with a physician regarding a private medical matter. The supervisor allegedly disseminated the private email to a third party resulting in a damaged reputation for the employee. The employee alleged that the Stored Communication Act was directly violated. An expert with experience in IT and human resources was sought to determine whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of the supervisor.

Questions to the Business expert and their responses

Please describe your background in IT roles.

I was a vice president of information management and systems for a health agency for the US military. I have completed training in computer and network security, information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) V3, and IT service management.

What HR-related responsibilities have you had during your career?

I served as the chief financial officer and human resource officer for a medical group for 3 years. I was responsible for all financial and human resources processes in the medical facility and oversaw human resources, operations, and manpower allocations.

Are you familiar with the Stored Communication Act and what it takes for an organization to be in compliance with the act?

I am familiar with the Stored Communication Act and what it takes for an organization to be in compliance with the act and I am confident I can provide expertise related to HR and IT governance and prudence for this case.

About the expert

This expert on Organizational IT Policy obtained his BA and MBA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has completed training in Computer and Network Security, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) V3, and IT Service Management. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Project Management Institute. He was formerly the Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Officer at McConnel Medical Group and a VP of Informational Management and Systems at a US Defense Health Agency. He is currently completing graduate coursework related to Healthcare Administration and is currently performing consulting work outside of the classroom.