Employers will implement various tools to increase productivity and efficiency, to generate profit, and to create a comfortable office environment. Some employers are utilizing new surveillance systems in the office to achieve these goals, an issue that was recently addressed in the New York Times. Today, the run-of-the-mill security camera is passé. Instead, new technologies track seemingly unlimited data about employees, including the amount and nature of employee interaction with co-workers, clients and customers. This is particularly popular in restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses where customer-service is a key to profitability. But is it legal? And is it appropriate for your office?
In most cases, employee surveillance is legal, provided employees are notified that they are being watched. But that doesn’t mean the system will have the desired result. Some argue that when employees know they are being watched, productivity improves, as workers are motivated to minimize idle time and maintain focus. Some employers, aware that a degree of social interaction increases productivity, have used monitoring data to make sure that their employees are engaging in sufficient face-to-face communication.
There may be negative consequences as well. Employees may perceive surveillance as an invasion of privacy or an indicator of mistrust, breeding disdain for management, a decreased sense of workplace camaraderie and loyalty, an increase in turnover, and even discrimination claims. Constant surveillance may dissuade workers from achieving their potential, particularly if the purpose of surveillance is unclear or employees are worried any mistake will be met with disciplinary action.
In addition, a growing school of thought advocates against physical employee monitoring, a phenomenon that one study referred to as “The Transparency Paradox.” This study, performed without workers’ knowledge at a factory, found that workers who conducted their work in privacy were 10 to 15 percent more productive than others in the factory who performed their work on the open factory floor. Researchers posited that such zones of privacy may increase performance by fostering beneficial experimentation and avoidance of distractions. These zones of privacy were thought to foster an increased willingness among workers to help one another and share tips during their short periods of down time.
Workplace monitoring is not for every business. Weigh the benefits of accessing more information about your team and a possible increase in productivity and profit against the potential downsides of surveillance in the office before installing monitoring tools. If you do decide to implement surveillance, here are some tips to avoid potential invasion of privacy claims:
- Be up front. Be forthcoming with the staff about what you are watching, how you are watching, and your reasons for doing so, including the benefits to your employees, clients, and business.
- Be clear. Implement a clear policy to set boundaries, establish employees’ expectations of privacy, and help set a workplace tone that conveys responsibility and respect for others.
- Be fair. If surveillance is associated with penalties, enact clear policies regarding what constitutes an infraction and implement penalties consistently.
- Be mindful of the internet. This is a common area where surveillance policies are needed. Such a policy should clearly state the ownership of company computers, networks, files, and e-mail, outline prohibited forms of communication, and set boundaries for the acceptable uses of company networks and e-mail.