A Pennsylvania school has been under fire in recent weeks due to allegations that it spied on students in their homes using school-issued laptops. And, since that school is potentially facing a class action lawsuit, the situation begs the question, is employee monitoring software ethical? And, is it legal?

If you do it right, the answer is yes, and yes.

While the argument regarding the school's use of computor monitoring software is more variable, the real truth is that employers have the right to use employee monitoring software because they are so often liable for what happens in the workplace with those computers.

A recent article on computer monitoring at PC World makes a fine point: while the use of employee monitoring software is also useful to boost productivity, it's most important function is to "protect the company from legal liability" that can be the result of inappropriate activity.

And, it can also prove to be "an efficient and cost-effective" system for maintaining compliance.

For those employers or managers who worry that using employee monitoring software is unethical, the answer is simple: just tell your employees that their computers are monitored. This way they know in advance that use of company computers is monitored, and both employers and employees can arrange a computer-use policy that is good for both productivity and morale.