Keeping Electronic Eye on Workers Gets Dicey During Work at Home

The novel coronavirus is creating a potential legal minefield for bosses who want to use technology to keep tabs on teleworking employees, especially those who use personal devices to accomplish job tasks.

While employees have little expectation of privacy on company-owned computers and devices, whether in the office or at home, companies run the risk of lawsuits and reputational damage if they collect sensitive information such as geolocation data from visits to personal banking or communication services without a valid purpose.

“When I’m notifying people about how we will be conducting business to take seriously this global crisis, I’m also ...