CS 492/692 - Winter 2014 - Assignment 3

Electronic Monitoring

Description

Assignment 3 is due on Thursday February 6 at 10am. It should be roughly 2000 words in length and is worth 10 marks.

The purpose of this assignment is to review the kinds of electronic monitoring which are now possible within our workplaces. Describe the technologies and what they would be used for.

Discuss arguments presented to justify electronic monitoring, which describe its benefits. Discuss arguments presented against electronic monitoring, where there are drawbacks and concerns. Reach your own conclusions, providing recommendations and guidelines.

For both sides of the argument, do not simply state your own opinions. Find papers which have already been written (from reputable sources) and which support these arguments (hopefully with some kind of evidence).

Purpose

Conditions of employment have undergone a long history of evolution through market adaptation, employee action, and legislation, and they continue to evolve. The demands of commerce are often at odds with the dignity of individuals, but people will endure a lot for a stable living wage. Since you will spend the next several decades working, it is a good time to examine the limits of what an employer is entitled to demand.

This assignment will also introduce students to the art of properly citing references not only as part of the backing for the positions that you are expressing but also to cover the background on technologies. We are also looking for some talent in organizing a somewhat longer essay into a readable document.