What is employee monitoring?
Monitoring employees is the monitoring of an employee’s job activity. Monitoring employees can take various forms, including video surveillance or monitoring the use of computers by employees.
Should companies monitor employees?
If employees should or shouldn’t not be supervised by their employer has caused a lot of disputes between employees and employers. There are various levels of monitoring for employees to take into consideration in this discussion. The extent to which a company is monitoring the employees it employs is a matter that must be taken seriously. Here are the pros and cons of companies that are monitoring their employees.
The benefits of employee monitoring
Observations. The immediate consequence of monitoring employees is increased monitoring, which allows an organization to be more attentive to the employee’s actions. Being more aware can lead to higher productivity and allow managers to determine what work is being performed for their staff. This includes both positive as well as negative comments. More observations will allow for greater records of employee performance and conduct.
Safety. Safety is generally improved with employee supervision. Businesses can be aware more quickly when certain regulations and rules aren’t being adhered to. This allows businesses to tackle safety issues to keep employees and employers safe.
The awareness of errors. Employee monitoring helps employers be aware of any mistakes which are taking place. It could be due to a procedure which was not done properly or a worker not adhering to the company’s policy. Instead of correcting the issue at the spur of the moment monitoring allows a supervisor to engage with the employee afterwards to discuss the error and ways to fix it. If the error is more serious and affects customers directly, catching mistakes early will save the company lots of time and cash.
Cons of Monitoring Employees
Time-consuming. While monitoring employees is very beneficial however, it can take a lot of time. Monitoring employees means that more time is required to keep an eye on employees. This can take the form of monitoring the usage of employees’ computers, examining footage of employees’ activities in the workplace, or in vehicles of the company, or looking over the locations employees are on duty. While this information is helpful in understanding employee performance but it could also hinder the productivity of those watching employees.
A damaged trust among employees. One of the most significant issues that arise from monitoring employees is the way it affects employees feel. Some employees may feel they aren’t trusted by their employers because their every move is monitored. The purpose of monitoring employees is to avoid errors and misbehavior. But, one study suggests that monitoring employees make employees more likely violate rules. This could be due to a feeling of lack of trust in their employers.
Legal implications. There are laws which permit employers to observe the work of their employees; but, there may be legal consequences for employers if they’re not vigilant. The majority of states permit businesses to look into any incident that occurs on company equipment or property. But, this could result in discrimination claims as well as other unfair work practices. It can be a bit difficult when working remotely since the employee is not working on company property. Some of the laws to keep in mind include The Electronic Communications Privacy Act from 1986 as well as the more common laws governing privacy invasion.
The types of employee monitoring system
There are a variety of ways that an employer can oversee the performance of employees. The methods you choose will depend on the kind of industry you’re in. Other depend on your staff in terms of remote or working in an office. Here are a few of the most common forms of monitoring employees.
Internet and Computer Utilization
Remote work is becoming more popular and has resulted in increasing the number of companies that use employees monitoring programs. In reality 60% of businesses that employ remote workers use a kind of software to monitor employees. These software programs let employers monitor employee internet and computer use. Employers can also record employee’s screens whenever they are notified of a certain behaviour.
Video Surveillance
Video surveillance is usually seen in locations with expensive equipment or safety considerations. It is common to find cameras in warehouses, or even in vehicles used by companies. On company-owned vehicles, certain systems like LYTX are activated to alert managers whenever an employee violates a rules or when a violation by the company occurs.
Keylogging
Keylogging can capture what someone types on an electronic device. Keylogging isn’t often found in business settings, as the rules regarding its use aren’t carved in concrete. Keylogging is often used for is used to serve illicit and unlawful purposes. Keylogging is often categorized as a violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Keylogging can also be secretive to employees with no benefit to employers.
Screen Recording
Certain of the employee monitoring softwares discussed earlier are able to screen record. This could mean that an employer is able to monitor their employee’s monitor at any time or be alerted when the monitor is being used for purposes that have been flagged and if the employer has taken the control of the screen of an employee to record what they’re doing.
If an employer decides to conduct this type of surveillance they must communicate this to employees. A majority of businesses will have a provision in their handbook for employees that declares that they can be monitoring the property of the company at any time. Screen recording, however, should be clearly stated as problems can arise in the event that employees are looking over personal information but is not aware that the information is being recorded without their permission.
GPS Tracking
GPS Tracking is typically employed by companies for their vehicles. This allows a business to track where employees are during their workdays and to make sure that it isn’t utilized outside of normal business hours. The majority of companies state explicitly that the company’s vehicles are intended for use for business purposes, not for personal use. The use of GPS allows employers to monitor this and ensure that it is followed.
How do you implement employee monitoring?
Implementing an employee-monitoring system will depend on the type of system you’re implementing. It could change as time passes. But, here are a few things to think about when you are implementing a system in the beginning.
Step 1. Conduct Research
Before you implement employee monitoring, you’ll need to conduct studies on which kind of monitoring best suits your business. It is important to think about your employees’ needs and why you’ll need to monitor employees. In this regard you’ll need to examine various software for monitoring employees to figure out which one is the best fit for your company’s requirements.
Step 2: Determine What Company Metrics or Violations to Be able to measure.
Next, you must establish the criteria your company will be measuring through the monitoring of employees. It is important to know the severity of any issues that are immediately reported to management and be notified. This is how you’ll be able to monitor the results of employee monitoring. This is also going to require the most time after implementation, since it will require looking over the metrics and violations, and making any necessary changes.
Step 3: Communicate Monitoring Policies to employees
It is the next stage to announce that new monitoring procedure to the employees. The policy should be included in the employee handbook, and then communicated to employees as quickly as it is feasible. It could be done via an email or memo that is well-written, held at the company’s annual meeting, or distributed by the manager at team meetings with employees.
Whatever policy is decided the decision should be made public clearly, and employees must be required to sign an acknowledgement that they have been informed of the policy. Employees who don’t sign the acknowledgement may be fired for not adhering with the policy of the company.
Step 4. Schedule a Review/Follow-up
After monitoring of employees is in place There should be follow-up or review to assess the progress. Employers should be able to get feedback from both employees and managers. Are productivity levels improving? Did you notice an increase or decrease in violations at the company? What are employees’ feelings about monitoring their employees? This review should be conducted in 90 days but also after 6 months and one year. This is when any necessary adjustments will take place. It could be a matter of how the policy is executed or tracked.
Best Practices for Monitoring Employees
If you decide to incorporate employees’ monitoring in the workplace, make sure that it’s handled in a professional manner. If you don’t, it could cause a negative reaction from employees. Here are a few best techniques to take into consideration when conducting employee monitoring.
Engage with employees
Any employee monitoring that you set up be sure to communicate to your staff. The employees should be aware of the ways in which they will be monitored. They shouldn’t be shocked when they find out they were using their computer improperly.
Alongside letting employees know about the software or programs for monitoring employees you’re using, make sure to explain to employees why they are using it. If you don’t communicate the reasons behind it, it could make employees feel that they’re not trusting or being micro-managed. Be as transparent as possible.
A formal written policy is required.
Any employee monitoring policy that you have in place must be documented and included in the handbook for your company. In certain situations, based on the kind of employee monitoring, it may be necessary to prepare a separate form that employees must sign affirming they are aware.
Monitor during working hours
Certain systems will alert you when employees are on websites that are not related to work. If this is the case, be sure you are monitoring only during business hours. When they are on facilities belonging to the company employees shouldn’t feel as if they are monitored outside of work hours. You should only be monitoring employees during working hours.
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