Manufacturers Association of Israel president Shraga Brosh and Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini will today sign a collective agreement for the private sector that regularizes employees' rights to use work computers for private purposes. The agreement is innovative, making Israel one of the first countries where unions and employer organizations have signed such an agreement.
The agreement arose out of a petition filed by an employee with the Tel Aviv District Labor Court as part of lawsuit. She asked the court to exclude as evidence copies of e-mails submitted by her employer in its defense.
The agreement stipulates that an employee may use a work computer for personal purposes, to which the principle of privacy would apply, to a reasonable extent. The agreement also stipulates that an employer has the right to set rules for computer use at work and other matters, including the technology suitable for work needs, the use of various software programs, monitoring, and the adoption of information security regulations.
Employers may not use personal information arising from these rules. The agreement stipulates that an employer may examine an employee's computer if there is suspicion of illegal use or harm to the company. The employee must give explicit permission to examine his personal e-mailbox and personal files, and any such examination must be made in the employee's presence if he requests it.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 25, 2008
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