Question 1

Which of the following acts stipulates that employers cannot use "protected health information" in making employment decisions without prior consent?
A)The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
B)The Federal Information Security Management Act
C)The Personal Information and Health Documents Act
D)The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Accepted Answer

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) stipulates that employers cannot use "protected health information" in making employment decisions without prior consent. Protected health information includes all medical records or other individually identifiable health information.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 is true?
A)Courts have ruled that the "interception" of stored communications applies only to messages that have actually reached company computers.
B)A firm that secures employee consent to monitoring at the time of hire is immune from ECPA liability.
C)The impact of the ECPA is to punish electronic monitoring only by employers.
D)The ECPA does not allow interception even when consent has been granted.

Accepted Answer

A firm that secures employee consent to monitoring at the time of hire is immune from ECPA liability.

Question 3

Which of the following is an advantage of monitoring?
A)Monitoring tends to promote effective performance since it reduces employees' stress and pressure.
B)Monitoring tends to create a friendly workplace without any suspicions.
C)Monitoring increases the level of worker autonomy and respect, as well as workers' right to control their environment.
D)Monitoring allows to ensure effective performance by preventing the loss of productivity to inappropriate technology use.

Accepted Answer

Monitoring allows the manager to ensure effective, productive performance by preventing the loss of productivity to inappropriate technology use.

Question 4

From a utilitarian perspective, individual rights to privacy or right to control information about oneself may be outweighed in cases where:
A)public safety is at risk.
B)the employee compensation package is very high.
C)the proposed benefit to the employer is high.
D)employee productivity depends directly on the number of hours they put in.

Accepted Answer

Where public safety is at risk, there is arguably a compelling public interest claim from a utilitarian perspective that may be sufficiently persuasive to outweigh any one individual's right to privacy or right to control information about oneself.

Question 5

Which of the following states in the U.S. requires employers to notify workers when they are being monitored?
A)Ohio
B)Illinois
C)Michigan
D)Connecticut

Accepted Answer

Only two states in the U.S., Connecticut and Delaware, require employers to notify workers when they are being monitored.

Question 6

Which of the following is true about the European Union's Directive on Personal Data Protection?
A)It prohibits EU firms from transferring personal information to a non-EU country unless that country maintains "adequate protections" of its own.
B)It is also known as the European Union Safe Harbor Act.
C)It encourages member countries to maintain myriad standards for information gathering and protection.
D)It states that United States in the only non-member country that maintains "adequate protection" of personal data.

Accepted Answer

The European Union's Directive on Personal Data Protection prohibits EU firms from transferring personal information to a non-EU country unless that country maintains "adequate protections" of its own; in other words, protections equivalent to those the directive guarantees in EU countries.

Question 7

Which of the following prohibits the "interception" or unauthorized access of stored communications?
A)The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986
B)The Computer Security Act of 1987
C)The Privacy Act of 1974
D)The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986

Accepted Answer

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) prohibits the "interception" or unauthorized access of stored communications.

Question 8

Which of the following is an advantage of drug testing?
A)Drug testing does not present any ethical challenges for employers.
B)Drug testing tends to provide a productivity benefit for companies.
C)There are no possibilities of incorrect presumptions in connection with drug testing.
D)There are no legal issues relating to monitoring employees through drug testing.

Accepted Answer

In a poll, about one-fifth of the responding companies reported an increase in employee productivity after implementing drug testing.

Question 9

When we do not get to know someone because we do not have to see that person in order to do our business, we often do not take into account the impact of our decisions on him or her. This is the challenge posed by the:
A)facelessness that results from the use of new technology accessible in the workplace.
B)knowledge gap that exists between people who understand the technology and others who do not understand it.
C)lack of clear boundaries between people's personal and professional lives.
D)assumption by users of technology that the Internet is safe.

Accepted Answer

A challenge posed by the new technology accessible in the workplace is the facelessness that results from its use. When we do not get to know someone because we do not have to see that person in order to do our business, we often do not take into account the impact of our decisions on him or her.

Question 10

_____ refers to the body of law comprised of the decisions handed down by courts, rather than specified in any particular statutes or regulations.
A)Statutory law
B)Common law
C)Civil law
D)Constitutional law

Accepted Answer

Common law refers to the body of law comprised of the decisions handed down by courts, rather than specified in any particular statutes or regulations.

Question 11

If the basis for finding an invasion of privacy is often the employee's legitimate and reasonable expectation of privacy, then a situation where there is no real expectation of privacy occurs when the:
A)employee has actual notice.
B)employer is covered under the ECPA.
C)work requires transference of sensitive data.
D)employee belongs to a minority group.

Accepted Answer

Since the basis for finding an invasion of privacy is often the employee's legitimate and reasonable expectation of privacy, if an employee has actual notice, then there truly is no real expectation of privacy.

Question 12

The desire to place workers in appropriate positions, to ensure compliance with affirmative action requirements, or to administer workplace benefits is sufficient reason for employers to undertake employee ____.
A)training
B)orientation
C)monitoring
D)drug testing

Accepted Answer

Monitoring allows employers to manage their workplaces to place workers in appropriate positions, to ensure compliance with affirmative action requirements, or to administer workplace benefits.

Question 13

The U.S. Department of Commerce negotiated a Safe Harbor exception:
A)because the U.S. would not qualify as having adequate protection.
B)so that the European Union could get access to personal information.
C)so that each European country could maintain its own standard of information gathering and protection while trading with the U.S.
D)because the law required that all imports to the European Union meet the Safe Harbor standards.

Accepted Answer

Because the United States would not qualify as having adequate protection, the U.S. Department of Commerce negotiated a Safe Harbor exception for firms that maintain a certain level of protection of information.

Question 14

The impact of the ECPA is to punish electronic monitoring only by third parties and not by employers because courts have ruled that "interception" applies only:
A)to access of messages by employers.
B)when monitoring is done without consent.
C)when employees file a case.
D)to messages in transit.

Accepted Answer

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) prohibits the "interception" or unauthorized access of stored communications. However, courts have ruled that "interception" applies only to messages in transit and not to messages that have actually reached company computers. Therefore, the impact of the ECPA is to punish electronic monitoring only by third parties and not by employers.

Question 15

Name the legal violation that occurs when someone intentionally interferes on the private affairs of another when the interference would be "highly offensive to a reasonable person."
A)Calumny
B)Vilification
C)Intrusion into seclusion
D)Defamation

Accepted Answer

The "invasion of privacy" claim with which most people are familiar is one that developed through case law called intrusion into seclusion. This legal violation occurs when someone intentionally intrudes on the private affairs of another when the intrusion would be "highly offensive to a reasonable person."

Question 16

The Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against an unreasonable search and seizure governs only the public sector workplace because:
A)unions exist only in public sector organizations.
B)the private sector does not cater to appeals of unreasonable search or seizure.
C)the Constitution applies only to state action.
D)only public sector organizations deal with classified information.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against an unreasonable search and seizure governs only the public sector workplace because the Constitution applies only to state action.

Question 17

Identify the situation prohibited by The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).
A)An employer releases genetic information about an employee in response to a court order.
B)An employer releases genetic information about an employee in connection with the employee's compliance to the certification provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
C)An employer releases genetic information about an employee to a health researcher.
D)An employer releases genetic information about an employee to the human resource department differentiate among employees.

Accepted Answer

The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act 2008 (GINA) became effective in November 2009 and prohibits discriminatory treatment in employment based on genetic information.

Question 18

Which of the following is true about technology and its usage?
A)It prohibits access to any information that was once easily accessible.
B)It ensures that the lines between people's personal lives and professional lives are not blurred.
C)It tends to cause facelessness that is a challenge that has to be met.
D)It allows users to be much more careful with their communications.

Accepted Answer

A challenge posed by the new technology accessible in the workplace is the facelessness that results from its use.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (GINA) is true?
A)Under GINA, an employer can collect genetic information in order to monitor the biological effects of toxic substances in the workplace.
B)Under GINA, an employer is subject to the same conditions as under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
C)Under GINA, an employer cannot collect genetic information in order to comply with the Family Medical Leave Act.
D)Under GINA, an employer cannot release genetic information about an employee to a public health agency.

Accepted Answer

Under GINA, an employer can collect genetic information in order to comply with the Family Medical Leave Act or to monitor the biological effects of toxic substances in the workplace.

Question 20

According to economist Antonio Argandona, which of the following elements would include issues relating to company secrets, espionage, and intelligence gathering?
A)Truthfulness and accuracy
B)Respect for property and safety rights
C)Respect for privacy
D)Accountability

Accepted Answer

According to economist Antonio Argandona, respect for privacy would include issues relating to company secrets, espionage, and intelligence gathering.

Quiz 7: Ethical Decision Making: Technology and Privacy in the Workplace

Which of the following acts stipulates that employers cannot use "protected health information" in making employment decisions without prior consent?

Which of the following statements about the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 is true?

Which of the following is an advantage of monitoring?

From a utilitarian perspective, individual rights to privacy or right to control information about oneself may be outweighed in cases where:

Which of the following states in the U.S. requires employers to notify workers when they are being monitored?

Which of the following is true about the European Union's Directive on Personal Data Protection?

Which of the following prohibits the "interception" or unauthorized access of stored communications?

Which of the following is an advantage of drug testing?

When we do not get to know someone because we do not have to see that person in order to do our business, we often do not take into account the impact of our decisions on him or her. This is the challenge posed by the:

_____ refers to the body of law comprised of the decisions handed down by courts, rather than specified in any particular statutes or regulations.

If the basis for finding an invasion of privacy is often the employee's legitimate and reasonable expectation of privacy, then a situation where there is no real expectation of privacy occurs when the:

The desire to place workers in appropriate positions, to ensure compliance with affirmative action requirements, or to administer workplace benefits is sufficient reason for employers to undertake employee ____.

The U.S. Department of Commerce negotiated a Safe Harbor exception:

The impact of the ECPA is to punish electronic monitoring only by third parties and not by employers because courts have ruled that "interception" applies only:

Name the legal violation that occurs when someone intentionally interferes on the private affairs of another when the interference would be "highly offensive to a reasonable person."

The Constitution's Fourth Amendment protection against an unreasonable search and seizure governs only the public sector workplace because:

Identify the situation prohibited by The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) .

Which of the following is true about technology and its usage?

Which of the following statements about the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (GINA) is true?

According to economist Antonio Argandona, which of the following elements would include issues relating to company secrets, espionage, and intelligence gathering?