Current Use of EPM by Private Employers
1. Form of Monitoring
Electronic monitoring makes it possible for employers to monitor the activities of their employees continuously and secretly. Although electronic monitoring includes a wide range of practices, three general categories dominate computer-based monitoring, telephone call, accounting and service observation; and video surveillance.
a) Computer-based monitoring:
This allows an employer to review specific activities of employees who work on computers. This practice is most pervasive in areas of employment that involve highly repetitive tasks. For example, many mail sorters and data processors perform repetitive activities on computer monitors connected to a mainframe, allowing
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Surveillance is usually a two-step process. Employers first install a camera that employees can see then add a hidden camera. Management also employs video monitoring to record employee work habit such as movement on the assembly line.
2. Benefits of Workplace Monitoring:
Employers emphasize that monitoring is critical to improving employee productivity and to ensuring the quality of work. For example, to increase productivity, employers can use EPM to plot the work rate of a particular individual and the workflow of a group of employees.
Additionally, computer based monitoring can chart future workload to increase productivity. Monitoring also reduces the need for managers to give personal attention to employees because the computer can provide feedback. Varieties of industries use computer-based monitoring to train employees and to check the quality of their work. For example, service observation of telephone operators allows supervisors to oversee adherence to the employer’s quality control guidelines on courtesy and salesmanship.
Managers use electronic monitoring to investigate possible employee wrongdoing or dishonesty. For instance, some managers’ view monitoring as a means to combat employee theft of goods and time. Employers are increasingly using electronic surveillance to protect trade secrets and other intangible property interests. Therefore, employers endorse monitoring functions as an unbiased measure of the
Electronic monitoring is another widely used form of surveillance in which an electronic device is attached to an offender's body, warning that person that
once again brought to light the various concerns and complaints that this contentious area inevitably generates. The idea of monitoring employees’ conversations has a certain Orwellian darkness that encourages accusations of privacy invasion and corporate spying. Indeed, some companies have taken this too far – some reportedly even requesting their employee’s Facebook login details. However, by and large the concept of employee monitoring – when done appropriately – seems to me to be relatively
Unauthorized surveillance is a violation of privacy. Corporations insist that the use of video monitoring is strictly documented for legal purposes. What many companies fail to do is give handouts that clearly inform their employees and customers that such methods are being practiced and most don't even attempt to inform them. Some retail stores place security cameras in dressing rooms, monitor emails and even inspect online activity. Upon learning of these procedures, employees may feel violated, and customers may become nervous and uncomfortable. Word of these tactics can spread and prove detrimental to the organization. To avoid this,
| It will track performance reviews and performance issues which will help to decide whether to offer an employee a promotion or a boost in pay
1. The monitoring of misconduct will be executed in several ways. First, all company computers, tablets, fax machines, and telephones are capable of recording activity. Computers and tablets will track web pages visited, and they are capable of storing all text input. Office
1. Use of on premise security cameras to spy on the activities of fellow employees
Workplace privacy is one of the biggest issues facing businesses today. Do you feel like you are being watched all the time, all your e-mails being read, and every key stroke is being monitored by your boss? Some people feel this way and that is why privacy in the workplace is a problem with many businesses today. Employees feel like they are not being trusted, or feel the company invades on their personal privacy, or violates their fourth amendment rights. On the other hand many businesses have many federal and state laws to follow, and must keep their assets safe, and their employees. Technology makes communications of all sorts as easy as a few pushes of a button. This technology makes it
Lastly, Information Technology makes it easier for employers and perspective employees to retrieve data or other forms of information in real time. Employers can check the current status of employees or the current success level of each department, without physically being in the office. This has been made possible due to
The PC screening qualities of the project incorporates working impalpably and subtle at each desktop without influencing the focal arrangement of the machine source, follows all customer correspondences, screens and check all keystroke activities despite of the projects used, outlines all data into intelligible reports, and gives complete data connected to specific specialist exercises with customized providing details regarding a laborer's PC. The use of system approved by Interguard and Webwatchers stores, screens and, deals with the target Pcs web destinations went to, email, and web mail, immediate messages, talks, keystrokes entered, program utilization, GPS locales, web surfing, programming use, development of private data deleted, and recouped critical information.
So, employers are using a strategy, such as monitoring to ensure productivity in the workplace.
Furthermore, it provides the manager with a snapshot of what areas an employee need improvement on.
The advancement in the technology is believed by the employees’ as actions to limit their privacy by the employers. Henceforth, workplace surveillance creates a legal issue in the work environment. The employees’ believe that their rights get violated when their employer keep a close watch on their activities.
It has been proved that computers help a business ease its activities such as record keeping, monitoring employees and word processing among others. However, the use of computers in the workplace breeds concerns such as security threats and privacy issues. Computer systems are not only prone to hackers but also other security issues that may compromise the company’s activities and social integrity. The research will probe into some of the advantages and disadvantages of computer surveillance.
In The Los Angeles Times (2013) an article titled, “Tracking workers’ every move can boost productivity,” stated how employers are using surveillance software to monitor employees every movement. Employees are criticizing the monitoring software since it has caused harsher work environment. Employees feel with the monitoring system, employers see them as human machines a way to drive costs down and increase production (Semuels, 2013). Employees are finding that monitoring technology have cost jobs