New law shares how much California employers can spy on employees at work

FRESNO, Calif. — Employers in California have the right to spy on their employees at work but how much of your personal information can be used?

Fresno State Criminology Professor Keith Clement says slacking off at work is now mostly done behind your one of your screens.

"Ten percent of employees spend more than three hours a day, goofing off at work," says Clement.

"If I'm paying you to do your work for 8 hours and then I take a look at sites you are visiting and the emails you are sending; if they are not related to work, then there is the possibility through this monitoring process that an employee could find themselves in some hot water."

According to California laws, everything employees do on company computers and work phones is considered fair game for employers to spy on.

Electrical and computer engineering professor, Shahab Tayeb says employers are watching what you do but are also trying to protect the company.

"If the employer-provided the device, to the employee, the chances are, they have every right to log everything."

"Without logging, they wouldn’t be able to protect their employees from spam ware and malware," says Tayeb. "As long as there is a business need, their employers can legally record actions that are happening."

Tayeb says the digital footprints you are leaving behind could hold patterns such as email chains and desktop instant messages; all things that could help hackers get inside.

As of right now here in the state of California. and a new bill for the California Consumer Privacy Act, if the business was hacked or there was a breach within the company, the company could use your personal information to figure out how it happened in the first place. Now with this new bill, there are more ways for consumers to protect their personal activity.

Fresno County Human Resources Department Director says all county employees are monitored even if they are working from home.

"The law doesn't apply to public entities or schools in the same way, so we are talking about two different things when it comes to the consumer."

nerland: "it's like they're here, we can see everything they are doing, they know when they are working on any county device, even if they are vpn'ing from home, that nothing they do is private."

As for privately owned businesses, according to California AB 25, "a job applicant, employee, owner, director, officer medical staff member or contractor would receive some rights including:

• mandatory notices about what information your employer is getting.
• up to $750 dollars if your sensitive personal information is gathered.
• permission to ask your employer to delete personal information if you won't want your boss to see it.

Experts say the data collected on your electronic devices are used to help employers in cases for wrongful termination.