Big Boss Is Watching Ever feel that spine-tingling feeling like someone is watching? If you are at work right now, they probably are. They know that you are reading an article about electronic monitoring at BlueSuitMom, that you just called your daycare provider to check up on little Bobby and that you forwarded the Hampster Dance email to five of your closest friends. A recent survey by the American Management Association found 73.5 percent of major U.S. firms said they record and review their employees' communications and activities on the job, including their phone calls, e-mail, Internet connections and computer files. Employer monitoring has doubled since 1997, driven by a dramatic increase in employers' interest in what employees are doing on their computers. The growth of electronic monitoring has been explosive over the past two years. Fifty-four percent of employers report monitoring their employees' Internet connections. Thirty-eight percent review e-mail messages, up from 15 percent in 1997 and 31 percent review computer files, up from 14 percent in 1997. In efforts to control employee misuse or personal use of telecommunications equipment, 55 percent of respondent firms use "blocking" software to prevent telephone connections to unauthorized or inappropriate phone numbers; 29 percent block Internet connections to unauthorized or inappropriate Web sites. Even if your company isn't monitoring your email, your co-workers might be. Most network administrators have full access to your computer files including email. Luckily, they should be too busy to want to read that joke you sent about your boss. Can you expect any privacy at work? NO. But with this in mind you can use these tips to keep your secrets out of your bosses prying eyes and ears: Use your personal cell phone for personal phone calls Don't write anything in your email that you don't want your boss to read. Your Internet usage can be monitored, so do any personal Web surfing at home. Don't use your personal email account from work, since an employer can tap into exactly what you see on your screen. Ask your employer what they are monitoring. Although there is no law requiring them to tell you about their use of electronic monitoring, you might as well ask. Contact your MIS manager or the human resources department. Concerned about your privacy? Sound off on the message boards.