Catherwood LibraryILR School

Judge James M. Rosenbaum, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, says that the new “legal principle” that allows employers to conduct unrestricted searches on workers’ computers should be reexamined. Employers say that carte blanche employer searches are necessary to detect and stop productivity losses, prevent a hostile work environment, and protect trade secrets. Judge Rosenbaum, however, argues that just as a company cannot visit an employee’s home and search all documents written with a company pen, employers should not possess unrestricted power to search company computers.