Invasion Of Privacy At Modern Workplaces

Trend Of Employee Monitoring

 American Management Association

(AMA) reports that nearly 80% of all
companies utilize some form of
employee monitoring and surveillance
at the workplace.

66% monitor internet use; 45% log

keystrokes; 43% track employee emails.

Advantages Of Employee Monitoring

Employees who use company hours

as their personal time cause great
losses to the firm.

In 2009, UPS fitted 200 sensors on delivery

trucks that tracked driving speeds, stop
times, etc. It allowed them to figure out that
drivers were sneaking breaks, reducing
number of deliveries per day.

Minimizes Policy Violations

2013 study of chain restaurants showed

that employee monitoring resulted in 22%
drop in theft, and 7% increase in revenue.

Every organization has employees who

behave as if rules and policies don't apply
to them.

Employee monitoring allows tracking of

common errors, and helps create training
Reduces Mistakes
programs which address such issues at the
start of employment.

Reinforces Strengths
Tracking data can be used to
identify and reward employees
who perform above and
beyond the call of duty, thus
reinforcing positive aspects of
monitoring as well in
employees' collective psyche.

Increases Customer Satisfaction

Constant monitoring reinforces the utmost professional behavior
among employees when interacting with customers, as
exemplified within the Call Centre industry.

Your HR. Simplified.

Disadvantages of Employee Monitoring

Harper's Magazine reports that UPS uses

tracked metrics like a mental whip to
intimidate people into working faster.

Breeds mentality that numbers (meeting

key indicators) are more important than
quality work.

Breeds Mistrust

Office morale can plummet, and cause

employees to perform poorly or leave the
company.

Right at the heart of all this is trust. What

sort of message does it send that they
need to monitor [workers'] desktops? Ken
Oehler, Global Engagement Practice
Leader of Aon Hewitt, to The Week.

Employee Monitoring Clashes With

Employee Privacy

Sales Executive fired from her job after she

uninstalled a monitoring app from her
company-issued
phone,
because
it
continued to track her movements outside
work hours as well.

Currently suing Intermex for $500,000 on

basis of lost wages and charges of
invasion of privacy, wrongful termination,
and unfair business practices.

Making Monitoring Easier For Acceptance

By Employees

Studies show greater acceptance if

employees are explained the reasons
behind monitoring as well as the resultant
advantages hoped to be gained from it.

While employees don't need to be told the

specific indicators being measured during
monitoring, explicitly detailed policies
regarding
usage
of resources
Specific
and Explicit
Policies being
tracked email, GPS, cell phone must be
laid down for transparency and ease of
compliance.

Protecting the firm from legal vulnerabilities

can only be achieved through employees
signing consent form allowing tracking of
actions
performance.
However,Forms
Haveand
Employees
Sign Consent
informed consent requires that you also
educate them on specific markers being
monitored.

Train, Remind and Train AgainMost employees receive

policies regarding use of office business tools and
privacy issues on the first day of employment, but
too often they don't read them. Employers need to
do more than hand over a written policy... They
should educate employees on a company's
expectations and offer training on an annual basis.
Manny Avramidis, AMA's Senior Vice President of
Global Human Resources.

Your HR. Simplified.