Hand-in-hand with hybrid working is the contentious issue of employee monitoring. During lockdown, many employers increased workforce surveillance as they strived to understand the relationship between remote working and productivity.
Due to increased technology available, there may be a feeling that this is just something with which employees have to learn to live.
Of course, on-site monitoring of employees has long been in place in some workplaces.
Such initiatives include:
- keycards, passes and fobs used to track when employees enter and leave the premises for fire safety, wage calculation, and attendance monitoring.
- CCTV cameras which are common in retail settings and warehouses both for security and for the detection of employee theft;
- call monitoring and recording which is the norm in customer service roles to monitor quality and to assist with customer complaints; and
- monitoring Internet use and Emails by tracking websites visited, time spent online during working time, and scanning of emails sent and received via work accounts
Additionally, some employers use vehicle trackers for drivers in logistics or delivery services for employee safety, route planning and monitoring of driver behaviour.
In recent years, however, more advanced technology has started to be used to monitor employees working offsite including:
Software tracking
software tracking to monitor applications used as well as employees’ keystrokes;
Time-tracking
time-tracking software which records hours worked and breaks taken; and
Project management
project management platforms which track task completion, timelines, and team collaboration in order to improve productivity.
Some employers have even started to use webcams for remote workers to ensure that employees are present and active during their working hours!
All of this can begin to feel quite intrusive for employees. Before implementing such technology, therefore, employers should first understand that there may be negative effects. Whilst there are obviously benefits to collecting and using people data (and we live in a datadriven world now) including improving productivity and employee wellbeing, employers should ensure that they do not risk alienating staff through a perception of mistrust. Alternatives which are less intrusive should be considered and used wherever possible.
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, any form of monitoring must be overt, for a justifiable purpose, necessary, and proportionate. There must be objective intended outcomes, clearly explained and communicated to employees via a Monitoring policy prior to the commencement of any monitoring.
This should also include information on who will have access to the data collected via monitoring; for how long such data will be retained; and what rights employees have in respect of that data. Employers should be transparent and provide a Privacy Notice explaining what data will be collected and why, and how it will be used.
Employers should be aiming to create a culture of trust rather than surveillance.
Relevant members of management should also be trained on the proper use of monitoring systems and how to process data collected by them.
"Once implemented, any methods of monitoring must not simply be just left in place but should be regularly reviewed to assess if they are effective and achieving the intended outcomes, and adjusted in terms of method or scope as identified by such a review. Employers must also be careful to address any employee concerns raised and keep a record of them."
HR Solutions can draft a Monitoring Policy for you. We can also provide training on Data Protection principles, including workplace monitoring, and can provide information on data retention timescales.
