Should employers spy on their employees

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Should employers spy on their employees? Sana
Ahmed BA 107
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Stakeholders

• Employees
• Employers/ Managers
• Customers
• Companies that make surveillance equipment
• Shareholders/ Owners

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High Tech Monitoring

• Web connected video cameras can watch workers
• Software can monitor whether employees are logged
  in
• Programs can track keystrokes or block access to
  certain web sites (pornography, hate sites)
• Cameras with automatic zoom-in devices
• Hidden microphones
• Custom surveillance devices

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Arguments in favor of monitoring employees

• How do you know your employees are working if
  you cannot see them?
• Workforce is more flexible now and therefore
  difficult to manage.
• Its good for giving employees direction.
• Managers can see who is performing at what
  level.
• It becomes easier to assess training needs.
• Improper use of e-mail and the abuse of the
  privilege to surf.
• Its important to make sure employees are
  adhering to company policies.
• Pilfering by employees in the retail
  environment.
• Employees are briefed on security precautions
  when they are hired.
• If employees break laws using their companys
  resources, then the company
• may be held liable.

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The US Workforce
Works from home, some of the time
Other
Mobile, or works from customer locations
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How it works for Jet Blue

• 700 reservation agents, all working from home
• Software closely tracks each persons telephone
  activity
• The phone system logs things like
• Who hung up first
• The duration of the call
• How long did it take the agent to answer the call

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• A manager oversees 25 reservation agents
• The manager can suspect a problem in the weekly
  reports
• If so then the manager will ask questions and
  offer advice
• Additional training may be necessary
• Every month to monitor quality, supervisors also
  listen to 10 random calls for each agent they
  oversee
• Feedback is provided to agents in person
• Top performers are rewarded with prizes
• RESULT Not including breaks Jet Blues agents
  are on the phone or available to take a call 95
  of the time.

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Arguments against spying on employees

• Strict monitoring can eliminate a sense of
  control that working away from office is supposed
  to foster
• It can gravely damage morale
• Low morale can bring productivity down
• How do you monitor people who think for a living
• Its difficult to measure the quality of work as
  opposed to quantity
• Employers are suspicious and mistrustful
• It punishes more people for the faults of few
• Wastes company resources

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Where do you draw the line?

• A school in Arizona had a hidden camera installed
  in the principals shower.
• Northern Telecom tapped pay phones in the
  employee cafeteria.
• Epson secretly read employees email.
• Is any activity that is not directly work
  simply goofing off?
• Employers may stumble upon employee secrets, that
  are not related to work.

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Work Design Collaboratives research

• Examined 2000 workers at 15 companies
• When people work away from a companys office, on
  average, their productivity rises by about 15
• Fewer distractions
• No unnecessary meetings
• Flexibility results in job satisfaction
• Sharper focus

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Conclusion

• Management should have the right to some sort of
  surveillance, but only if there is a performance
  issue related to its employees
• Companies should hire, train and motivate good
  employees and dealing with the abusers should not
  harm the morale of good employees
• Each industry should establish guidelines for
  monitoring employees and set limits
• Abusers should be dealt with strictly so as to
  set an example for the other employees.

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Sources

• Wall Street Journal articles
• Medzilla.com
• Millennium-marketing.com