Introduction
Many companies have instituted information privacy regulations that are supposed to protect both their clients and employees. Many companies uphold their customers’ privacy and undertake to protect their privacy and security regarding any information that they provide. One of these companies, The Kroger Co., has undertaken to protect its customers’ names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and credit card information to minimize any unauthorized access of the sensitive information.
This has prompted Kroger to put in place a privacy policy. Kroger’s privacy policy entails maintenance of their customers’ privacy and safeguarding any information provided by them. Besides, the company does not seek information from children aged below 13 years (Kroger Co, 2011). Moreover, they do not sell, rent, or trade information about their customers to other companies. Kroger does not collect personally identifiable information passively from their customers and prevent unauthorized access of information about their customers.
Main body
This essay seeks to examine Kroger’s informational privacy issues regarding how they treat information provided by both their customers and employees. The paper will also assess whether the company asks its employees questions that that may be improper. The impropriety will then be identified.
The Kroger’s employment agreement consists of 20 sections. The last section expressly talks about confidentiality of agreement terms. At Kroger, employment agreements are treated with utmost confidentiality. The terms of employment agreements are normally held in strict confidentiality by the executive authority of the company and cannot be disclosed to anyone other than the employee’s spouse, his or her legal counsel, and to other authorities if required by law.
With the exception of the preceding circumstances, an executive or an employee is forbidden from revealing the existence of an employment agreement and discussing its contents with anybody including employees of Kroger Company and its affiliates without getting a nod from the company’s board of directors. If by any chance Kroger discloses the terms of this agreement in a public filing, the confidentiality requirements cease to apply (Kroger Co, 2002).
This employment agreement is well crafted. However, the last section, section 20 that talks about the confidentiality of the employment agreement has some issues that appear repressive. The agreement only allows the executive or employee to share the contents of the employment agreement with their spouses, legal advisors, and their other advisors, or unless compelled by law. This requirement appears ambiguous because the executive’s colleague workers may be categorized under advisors, sharing information with them may attract punitive measures with regard to a provision that outlaws the employee or the executive’s attempt to allude to the existence of the agreement with their employees.
Employment agreements are known to exist and trying to gag the employees into denying their existence is just draconian. The board of directors of a company and the company officers should never initiate any action that goes against the grains of company’s way of operation. Any attempt by employees to push them to be allowed to disclose their employment agreement is likely to be stifled. The confidentiality agreement is not very punitive to the employer as it is to the employees with regard to their deliberate attempt to break the confidentiality of the employment agreement. Hence, it appears one-sided.
Conclusion
Informational privacy policy is supposed to protect employees and customers’ privacy. This is very important in combating identity theft that has become rampant. However, in an effort to try to combat this vice, care should be taken so that the company does not engage in unethical activities.
Reference List
Kroger Co. (2011). Employment agreement –Kroger CO-5-1-2002. Web.
Kroger Co. (2002).The Kroger Co. Privacy Policy. Web.