In our post-pandemic era, boosting employee productivity is a focus for all business. However, are surveillance technologies a help or a hindrance?
A report published by the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of Work highlighted a significant increase in the use of algorithmic surveillance and employee monitoring technologies during the pandemic. According to a separate recent poll of more than 2,400 workers in the UK, almost one in three (32%) reported being monitored by their employer, up from a quarter (24%) of workers just six months prior. The use of these tools has now become so common experts are urging to bring forward robust proposals to ‘protect people and safeguard fundamental values.’ The findings also come at a time in which the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reviewing guidance to employers on the use of new technologies, including monitoring tools. Despite many of the organizations deploying these technologies to boost productivity, the outcome is often the opposite. Not only do they fail to encourage productivity, but they also negatively impact staff motivation, causing cultural disconnect. More broadly, businesses need to question whether they are encouraging toxic practices and understand the impact this is having on the workforce. Although employees have begun returning to the office, working flexibly and remotely will long continue. Even organizations that previously relied on staff being in one central location have recognized that a work from home option must be available, should they want to attract and retain talent. With more work pressures and complexities than ever, some managers feel that they lose visibility and, thus, control over their projects and their teams, which contributes to the stress level.
