On an emotional level, I agree with you 100%.
But then again, I don’t.
It sounds to me, like we both work in large companies. I happen to like my job. Quite a lot, actually. I have only ever had two bosses who actually made me uncomfortable, and both have since moved on. For the most part, I have found our management to have almost been overly concerned with what we, as the staff, think about things.
In a large organization, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the chain of ownership.
So we start thinking not like employees, but like citizens.
Management becomes a sort of government. We, as citizens of a free country with the best darn Constitution history has ever seen — expect certain rights.
Except we’re at work.
Someone ELSE owns the company. They’re the one, with the rights.
If you or I were to decide we’ve had enough of the corporate bureaucracy, and go open a coffee shop, or a hardware store — we would own it.
Then, we could decide the rules.
Don’t know about you, but I don’t own the corporation.
I’ve got a couple shares of stock through an employee participation program, but basically I’m just a hired hand.
That’s reality. I’m ok with that. If ever I am not, I’ll leave.
Unless you have that privacy guarantee in writing, all you have done is sold the company all of your time and all of your privacy at a very low price.
Why do you think the government will stand up for people who are probably unwilling to stand up for themselves?