"BENEFITS AND DEMERITS OF EMPLOYEE MONITORING SYSTEMS"
"employee time tracking systems, employee monitoring software (850 Words)"
[ "BENEFITS AND DEMERITS OF EMPLOYEE MONITORING SYSTEMSThe situation relating to our work and daily lives has seen a monumental change, which can be attributed to the pandemic. Our daily lives have seen a complete twist in these years. Everything that was common for us, such as going out for work, shopping, meeting friends, is no longer common. We now meet and greet everyone through our screens. Even though there is a slight relaxation for a few months, it does not stay the same. The difference in our lifestyles also applies to our work style. We now work, not from our cubicles but the spaces of our homes. This significant change in our lives has led to a series of changes in our lifestyle as wellThe transition of our work from the office to home is now the new normal. This mass transition of the workforce from the office desk to a home desk has led to a massive change. Even though there are clear indicators of increased productivity, many organisations and employers still worry. There are some roles and jobs that require sitting constantly at the desk. Naturally, exceptions cannot be made in that case. However, the concept of using Employee Time Tracking Systems is still a topic of discussion. This is because multiple spaces and people do not condone the surveillance of their employeesFurthermore, this would be moving a step away from the guaranteed privacy of the employees. When managers work in normal conditions, they have the money to manage, see, and track their employees' progress. When the condition and the state of mode change, so do our jobs and process of conducting business. The managers can no longer keep a close look at what their employees are doing in their day to day activitiesIt is possible for several people to lag behind or even have different queries in their work roles. However, they may not feel comfortable reaching out to their colleagues and employers in such close timelines again and againSeveral studies, however, conclude that after switching to work from the home mode of work, productivity has seen a stark rise. There are several reasons for the same. For example, people can spend all of their work time without getting into different things. Even at work in the office, people generally work for only 80 per cent of their total work time.Therefore, it is only normal for people to have different kinds of reservations regarding surveillance systems or employee monitoring softwareWHAT DOES A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM DO?;In a gist, a surveillance system will keep track of the employees' productivity. The employees, on average, visit different sites or social media and use their time on the computer differently. This surveillance system would keep track of thatIt will check in what way the person uses their productivity effectively. The employer would keep track of the different social media sites they would visit and other things like that. This feature is beneficial for the employer as it would help them monitor if their employee is working according to their deliverables or notCOMMON RESULTS OF USING A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM;Bias:;If an employee performs well in terms of productivity on the screen, they will rank higher than their other counterparts. This would inherently make the employer favour the work of that very employee. In this way, the measure of work that the employees do would be measured by their quantity and not quality. Moreover, this can also be dangerous as employees may lose their passion whilst working for the organisationErosion of Trust:;Both on the part of the employer and the employee, an erosion of trust would take place. It is common for managers to pull their employees when the work is not up to mark. However, constantly monitoring your employees for the kind of work and the social media sites they are visiting can prove very harmful. The employee would lose trust in the organisation and the employer as well. The main objective of technology is to benefit the two parties and help the organisation achieve value. The same would not go smoothly when such a thing happensPower imbalance:;Finally, a severe power imbalance occurs when a surveillance system is put in place. The employer would have complete control over what the employees are doing and how they are doing the same. The employee will have no power to push back the decisions of the employer. Moreover, if they refuse such surveillance, the chances of their job at risk would increase. Such a workplace condition is not healthy.Lack of accessibility:;Finally, for folks with any type of disability, surveillance is highly harmful. People with ADHD or other illnesses, physical or mental, may comprehend things a little differently from others. For someone who does not have physical or mental disabilities, the workflow would be much faster. The same cannot be said for the others. Therefore, to sensitise the organisation and the employer, systems like these should not be in place. They harm the integrity of the organisation and the people's well-being." ]