Did you know that 60% of companies with remote workers are now using an employee monitoring tool? The new hybrid workplace presents a unique set of challenges for managers, reflected in the increased demand for employee surveillance software. How does improved surveillance benefit the workplace, and where do we draw the line between effective monitoring and adequate employee privacy?
Trends in team monitoring
The shift towards remote working we saw post-2020 has given way to a rise in hybrid working, as more employers encourage at least a partial return to the office. This naturally means a greater demand for monitoring software that will keep companies’ confidential information safe and secure. But with increased monitoring comes increased employee surveillance.
According to Google Trends, worldwide searches for ’employee monitoring software’ increased by 35% in 2020 compared to 2019, coinciding with the lockdown and the surge in people working from home. Search volume rose dramatically again in mid-2021 and remained high throughout 2022, as some employees continued to work from home and others opted for part-time remote work. There’s been a sustained demand for surveillance tools over this period, with a 54% higher demand from March 2020 to March 2023 than 2019.
Why are employers investing more time and expense in monitoring their teams? A US survey revealed employers’ top reasons behind the trend:
- 79% want to understand better how their employees are using their time
- 65% want to ensure that their teams are working a full day
- 50% want to prevent the use of workplace equipment for personal projects
How are employers keeping an eye on their workers’ activities? 76% say they use software that tracks web browsing and application use. Meanwhile, 60% use software that captures random screenshots, 54% use programs that block certain content and applications, and 44% are logging keystrokes.
Benefits of monitoring software for businesses
There are some benefits, at least in theory, to monitoring employees during the workday, including:
- Increased worker productivity
- Better team performance
- Protection against lawsuits and insider threats
- Protection against malicious cyber activity and security breaches
- Preventing inappropriate behaviour
However, stats show that around half (52%) of bosses say their employees spend 1-4 hours a day away from their desks or browsing non-work-related content. A further 27% report that their employees spend 5 hours a day on non-work activities.
Interestingly, recent research tells us that employees monitored at work are more likely to break the rules than not – taking more unapproved breaks, disregarding instructions, or purposely working at a slower pace. Researchers theorise this is because monitored employees feel less personally responsible for their own conduct. This evidence shows how a culture of trust and communication can be more effective than simply implementing stricter monitoring.
Do employees benefit?
When surveillance is used correctly, it can be a motivating factor for employees by bringing the following benefits to the workplace:
- Workers are easily able to provide proof of their accomplishments.
- Management is able to track and recognise workers’ strengths and performance, helping with career progression.
- Data collected from monitoring tools can be used to encourage a better work-life balance and create a healthier, improved team member experience.
- These tools can give workers greater protection by preventing phishing attempts and ensuring that their remote access is secure.
Common surveillance methods
Popular workplace surveillance practices include:
- Keylogger software on company equipment (alerts supervisors when workers use devices for personal activities)
- Webcams to track biometric data
- Video surveillance in common areas
- Screen monitoring and screenshots to gauge productivity and stress levels
- Employer-provided smartphones equipped with geolocation software to track employees’ whereabouts
How do employees feel about being watched? Data from 2021 shows that 40% of workers were comfortable with their employers monitoring their login and logout times when working in a hybrid setting. But only 27% were comfortable with their web browser history being monitored, and only 18% were comfortable with computer screen monitoring.
What do employers typically track the most?
These 5 different types of employee monitoring have seen the biggest increase between 2021 and 2023:
Monitoring | 2021-2023 increase |
Location & GPS tracking | 44.85% |
Video monitoring | 42.42% |
Document scanning/file actions | 25.97% |
Attendance tracking/idle time | 20.06% |
Real-time activity monitoring | 12.79% |
The business areas using surveillance tools include financial, legal, retail, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, energy and government sectors.
The changing state of privacy laws
In the United States, workplace surveillance laws like the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 allow companies to legally track employees’ oral and electronic communication activities. The ECPA also establishes boundaries, prohibiting employers from monitoring personal phone calls. While the European Union has sweeping privacy laws, legislation can vary from state to state in the US, depending on the jurisdiction and legal precedents.
That said, employee privacy laws are taking shape in many states:
- California leads the way, enacting several laws for privacy, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, which gives consumers more control over the data that companies (including their own employers) collect about them.
- Both California and Oregon enacted a law protecting data collected from the Internet of Things (IoT).
- Data protection laws in Illinois and New York state that companies must dispose of biometric data after a specific period.
- Connecticut and Delaware have adopted mandatory notification laws requiring employers to give notice before monitoring employees.
According to a comparison of online privacy laws in the United States, California was ranked the as the #1 state for online privacy and security. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska were among the worst-ranked states.
The future of workplace surveillance: Trust and communication
The only way to successfully implement surveillance tools is through complete transparency. When an employer clearly explains the reasons for the monitoring and how it can benefit the whole team, employees are more likely to feel at ease about it.
Explaining your reasoning to your team can go a long way in assuring them that their best interests are at heart and that their workplace is safer and healthier with these monitoring guardrails in place.
Mark Turner, Chief Technology Officer at the Instant Group, says, “The rise in remote working and an influx of new technology means monitoring has ramped up. When used strategically, this tracking benefits all– businesses can identify resourcing issues, streamline processes and identify gaps, while employees can use the data to prioritise, manage workloads and track productivity. The key to using monitoring tools successfully is transparency and communication. If you can show your teams that using a piece of tracking technology benefits the business and them, too, then you’re on the right track.”
Factors to Consider
- Once the data is collected, who will decide the next steps based on its analysis?
- How should the information be acted on?
- How can you strengthen your talent recruitment strategies to ensure that you hire trustworthy and responsible employees?
This may come down to HR policies or discussions with legal counsel or business leaders.
The bottom line is that many workers understand that surveillance tactics are crucial to their wellbeing. They want their employers to be upfront about those measures. Privacy advocates believe that employers need to establish best practices that respect workers’ privacy, offering stronger assurances about privacy protections and data sharing policies, including limits on storage time.
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