{"id":246492,"date":"2021-05-10T18:54:30","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T15:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-companies-must-be-critical-of-workplace-surveillance-practices\/"},"modified":"2021-05-10T18:54:30","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T15:54:30","slug":"why-companies-must-be-critical-of-workplace-surveillance-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-companies-must-be-critical-of-workplace-surveillance-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why companies must be critical of workplace surveillance practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bb9f8c70e8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bb9f8c70e8\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-companies-must-be-critical-of-workplace-surveillance-practices\/#The_productivity_dimension\" >The productivity dimension<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-companies-must-be-critical-of-workplace-surveillance-practices\/#Next_steps\" >Next steps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Why companies must be critical of workplace surveillance practices<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>With <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.enhesa.com\/resources\/article\/the-rise-of-remote-work-in-the-covid-era-and-beyond\/\">so many more<\/a> people working from home during the pandemic, employers have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplemanagement.co.uk\/news\/articles\/one-in-seven-workers-say-employer-monitoring-has-increased-during-covid\">stepped up<\/a> the extent to which <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/publications\/report\/2020\/employee-monitoring-and-surveillance-the-challenges-of-digitalisation\">they are<\/a> monitoring <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/labor\/remote-controlled-workers-digital-surveillance\/\">them online<\/a>. Not so many years ago, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2013\/03\/harvard-email-search-scandal-can-your-employer-read-your-private-messages.html\">employees were<\/a> having to adjust to having their work emails monitored; but that seems almost quaint compared to the digital surveillance we are seeing today.<\/p>\n<p>Employers can use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.business.com\/articles\/what-is-keystroke-logging\/\">specialist software<\/a> to track workers\u2019 keystrokes, mouse movements, and the websites they visit. They <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-54289152\">can take<\/a> screenshots of employees to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/05\/06\/technology\/employee-monitoring-work-from-home-virus.html\">check whether<\/a> they are at their screens and looking attentive, or even use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/techtank\/2021\/01\/05\/how-employers-use-technology-to-surveil-employees\/\">webcam monitoring software<\/a> that measures things like eye movements, facial expressions, and body language. All this can be checked against a worker\u2019s output to draw conclusions about their productivity.<\/p>\n<p>Besides specialist software, managers can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.infoworld.com\/article\/2613609\/can-a-vpn-log-really-point-to-employee-slacking-.html\">view statistics<\/a> from their corporate private network to see who logged in and for what duration, and again cross-reference this to workers\u2019 productivity data. In some organizations, staff who do not open work <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications early in the morning could potentially be viewed as late for work or not productive enough.<\/p>\n<p>Home-working has also raised the prospect of more informal staff monitoring. For example, if a worker would normally log in to meetings by turning on their video, but one day they are in a car or a new location, the employer might think they are not committed or focused enough.<\/p>\n<p>This all <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1023\/A:1023014112461\">raises questions<\/a> about how such surveillance is affecting people\u2019s work practices, privacy, and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> wellbeing. Given that home-working <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2021\/feb\/10\/salesforce-office-in-person-work-tech\">looks set<\/a> to extend beyond lockdown <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/remote-working-why-some-people-are-less-productive-at-home-than-others-new-research-160059\">for many people<\/a>, this is clearly a moment for some serious reflection.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_productivity_dimension\"><\/span>The productivity dimension<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-54289152\">Managers justify<\/a> this kind of surveillance by claiming that it is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.datasociety.net\/pubs\/fow\/WorkplaceSurveillance.pdf\">good for productivity<\/a>. Some workers even seem to agree with this \u2013 provided the monitoring is done by a peer and not a manager.<\/p>\n<p>Many have signed up to an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-56083631\">online service<\/a> called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-56083631\">Focusmate<\/a>, for example, which matches anonymous strangers on \u201cwork dates\u201d where they briefly say what they will be doing during the appointment and then they can rate one another\u2019s approach to work at the end. The service aims to make workers more productive and to feel less lonely at work.<\/p>\n<p>That said, home-working during the first UK lockdown in spring 2020 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wiserd.ac.uk\/publications\/homeworking-uk-and-during-2020-lockdown\">did not have<\/a> a major effect on productivity. Workplace surveillance may even have held it back, given that it appears to have increased at the same time. Certainly, there is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rogerclarke.com\/DV\/Biel15-DuDA.html#App3\">evidence that<\/a> such techniques can make people feel vulnerable, afraid, and less creative. It can also reduce their <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0736585311000633\">job satisfaction<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-54289152\">lower their morale<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Also bear in mind that this surveillance is taking place in someone\u2019s home, which may make them feel particularly vulnerable. Some people <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/remote-working-why-some-people-are-less-productive-at-home-than-others-new-research-160059\">have struggled<\/a> with their mental health while working at home, and many have had to fit in other responsibilities such as caring for children and home-schooling.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps\"><\/span>Next steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In view of all this, companies need to adopt an \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taylorfrancis.com\/books\/edit\/10.4324\/9780429029943\/business-ethics-care-organizations-marianna-fotaki-gazi-islam-anne-antoni\">ethics of care<\/a>\u201d approach to their workers, meaning they make a commitment to take care of them. They need to investigate their surveillance practices and analyze how exactly line managers use them to check up on workers.<\/p>\n<p>While carrying out such an investigation, companies should recognize that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/scholarship.law.upenn.edu\/jil\/vol38\/iss2\/4\/\">some employees might be<\/a> finding workplace surveillance more difficult than others. This will depend on to what extent they think it invades their privacy, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sunypress.edu\/p-3659-boundaries-of-privacy.aspx\">how they weigh<\/a> the risks and benefits of sharing their data.<\/p>\n<p>This is likely to be affected by things like their cultural background, gender, and the context in question. Those already struggling with home-working, perhaps because they have to care for children at the same time, are particularly likely to feel that this surveillance is making their lives even harder. Workers can therefore try and evade surveillance techniques \u2013 for example, by keeping an automatic mouse-moving application open to make sure they appear online all the time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1282758 js-lazy\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-280x147.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-516x270.png 516w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-258x135.png 258w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-796x417.png 796w\"\/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1282758\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-280x147.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-516x270.png 516w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-258x135.png 258w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/working-from-home-796x417.png 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Companies should be ensuring from these investigations that employees are aware of what data is collected about them and how it\u2019s used. They should hold open discussions with workers and unions on how these monitoring practices affect workers, and allow workers to have their say without threatening disciplinary action. If workers feel that their employers care about them as individuals, they will hopefully feel empowered and trusting towards them, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/09585192.2016.1225313\">less likely<\/a> to find workarounds or to react negatively.<\/p>\n<p>Equally, it is important for regulators like the UK Information Commissioner to reflect on how surveillance in the workplace is changing. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/media\/for-organisations\/documents\/1064\/the_employment_practices_code.pdf\">UK code<\/a> in this area broadly requires that any monitoring be fair to workers and that any adverse impacts \u2013 for example, on workers\u2019 privacy, damage to trust, or demeaning workers \u2013 be mitigated. The rules may now need to be updated to reflect some of the latest forms of surveillance, and there is a role for researchers in looking into this as well.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers have tended to look at workplace surveillance from the perspective of productivity where workers are viewed as resources, but we need to start thinking in terms of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/2053951717736335\">data justice<\/a>. This has been described as \u201cfairness in the way people are made visible, represented and treated as a result of their production of digital data\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In a world where computers and smartphones are all around us, we need to negotiate our private spaces and our control over the data we produce online. Just like this has implications in our private lives for our relationship with <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> or Google, the increases in workplace surveillance make it just as important at work.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/159604\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/159604\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em>This article by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/evronia-azer-1223267\">Evronia Azer<\/a>, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Business in Society, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/coventry-university-1346\">Coventry University<\/a> is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/remote-working-has-led-to-managers-spying-more-on-staff-here-are-three-ways-to-curb-it-159604\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/remote-working-has-led-to-workplace-surveillance-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Why companies must be critical of workplace surveillance practices&#8221; With so many more people working from home during the pandemic, employers have stepped up the extent to which they are monitoring them online. Not so many years ago, employees were having to adjust to having their work emails monitored; but that seems almost quaint compared&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/growth-quarters?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/05\/surveillence-office-workplace-gq.png&signature=b5594506e702782323fca1ebf527afec","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}