The Benefits of Employee Monitoring
Employee monitoring is the practise of observing and tracking employee behaviour at work. This can be accomplished using a variety of techniques, including computer monitoring, video surveillance, and keystroke recording.
Employee monitoring has numerous advantages. It can assist with:
Increase productivity: By watching employee behaviour, employers can discover low-productivity areas and make changes to boost productivity. Employers, for example, can create regulations to limit employees’ time spent on social media.
Employee monitoring can aid in the prevention of theft of firm property and intellectual property. Employers can spot suspect behaviour, such as downloading huge files or sending emails to personal accounts, by tracking employee computer activity.
Employee monitoring can help to protect employees from workplace violence by recognising potential risks. Employers, for example, can interfere if an employee makes threats on social media.
Comply with rules: Employers in certain businesses, such as healthcare and financial services, are compelled to monitor employee activity in order to comply with regulations. Financial services firms, for example, are obligated to monitor employee trading activities in order to prevent insider trading.
However, there are certain drawbacks to staff monitoring. It can:
Employee privacy may be violated: Employee monitoring may breach employee privacy rights. Employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace, and employers should only monitor employee conduct when absolutely necessary.
Employee monitoring can be stressful and anxiety-inducing for employees. They may feel as if they are constantly being watched and judged, which can lead to low morale and productivity.
Employee monitoring has the potential to create a hostile work environment if it is not done properly and consistently. Employees who are subjected to greater scrutiny than others may feel singled out and discriminated against.
Employers should assess the benefits and drawbacks of employee monitoring before introducing it. Employers who elect to monitor employee conduct should do so in a fair, transparent, and justified manner.
Here are some additional recommendations for organisations contemplating staff monitoring:
Before monitoring an employee’s conduct, employers should obtain their consent. This can be accomplished through the use of a written policy or a signed agreement.
Transparency in monitoring: Employees should understand what activities are being observed and why. Employers should also notify employees about how the data will be utilised.
Employers should only monitor employee conduct when it is absolutely required and justified. Employers, for example, may need to monitor employee activity if they suspect theft or fraud.
Employers should only utilise the information collected through employee monitoring for legitimate business purposes. They should not use the information to harass or punish employees for personal reasons.
Employers can use employee monitoring in a fair, transparent, and productive manner by following these guidelines.