Recently, more and more employers have begun to monitor their employees electronically. This is supported by a recent survey by the American Management Association (AMA), which found a marked increase in employee monitoring in recent years.
Many people reading this may ask, “Why?” Employers, on the other hand, are likely to react, “Why not?” The fact is that employee activity reporting is based on sound business decisions, not on the mere desire to look into an employee’s private life. Even when monitoring equipment is available, most companies only check the records randomly, not daily or regularly.
Reasons for employee surveillance
One reason for monitoring is to comply with legal requirements imposed by the federal and state governments. Recording conversations is mandatory for companies in certain industries, such as telemarketing. In addition to the need to comply with legal requirements. Many companies find it necessary to have electronic or written records available at all times. In the event of product problems, questions, or disputes.
Another reason for the increase in workplace monitoring of workers is the growing interest of employers in knowing “where” their employees are during work hours. Even if they are physically present, they spend much of their work time on personal online activities. The Internet has become ubiquitous in the office, and activities such as web browsing, online gaming, instant messaging, and social networking have become commonplace for many workers. Productivity is clearly down, and it’s a strong argument for employers to monitor this.
Employee monitoring can also be an effective tool for evaluating employee performance. For companies that rely heavily on customer service and technical support, monitoring calls and responses is a good way to ensure that the company’s employees are meeting established standards. Managers can review these records to assess areas for improvement and praise deserving employees.
Understand employee concerns
Many workers aren’t too happy about the increased efforts of many companies to monitor employee performance. Their main concern is that their privacy will be violated in the workplace. Unfortunately for them, however, the employer’s right to expect its employees to be productive and to use all legal means to provide quality customer service outweighs the worker’s claim that his or her right to privacy has been infringed upon.
Unfortunately, employees have few rights in the workplace because they believe that the employee’s time during work hours “belongs” to the employer. However, this does not mean that they are not entitled to a few benefits from their employer with respect to electronic monitoring.
First, workers must be informed that their calls, computer terminals, and Internet use will be monitored. While this is not a legal requirement and technology allows employers to monitor employees without their knowledge. It can help employees improve their performance and use their work time to address personal issues. Avoid.
Clearly define what is unacceptable and what is not. Define appropriate sanctions in advance in case a violation is discovered. This way, employees will know why electronic monitoring is necessary. What they need to do to avoid sanctions, and what to expect. If they decide to take the risk and are discovered.
Final words
With the right tools, managing employees is not difficult. Come visit us to learn all about using human resources monitoring software and how to make your business more efficient and profitable.
