Calif. Job E-Mail Privacy Bill Reintroduced

A vetoed bill that would have prevented employers from monitoring the e-mail of their employees without notification has been reintroduced in the California Senate by Sen. Debra Bowen, D, Redondo Beach. Her bill -- similar to last session's version, which passed both Houses of the California legislature by a substantial margin -- also would prevent companies from reviewing Internet sites employees visit and computer files employees create unless the companies notify the employees of their intent to monitor through a computer monitoring policy. Bowen's bill also would give employees the right to access electronic data about themselves that the company collects through monitoring.