The Arguements about Implementing Surveillance at Work Place - Essay Example

Introduction: The rapid growth of information technology has induced new innovative technologies in the field of data collection and manipulation of data for use in different ways. In modern world, data is gathered almost everywhere. Information is collected about customers when using a website, shopping, traveling, etc. Apart from the electronic data collection, video surveillance has also become very common these days in countries like UK and Thailand. Many organizations have also started installing surveillance tools in company premises and workplace. According to the organizations applying such tools, it helps in analyzing and monitoring performance of employees during work hours, maintaining legal rules and regulations and controlling the operations cost. On the other hand, the surveillance tools also raise a threat to employee’s privacy. In most cases the managers use such tools to monitor the daily activities of the employees so as to ensure that the employees are doing the work allocated to them with utmost sincerity, and not wasting company’s time, money and resources. In earlier times, supervisors and managers used to monitor the worker’s activity from their cabin situated at height. Today’s technology of surveillance gives similar control over the employees but is much more effective and sophisticated. Type of surveillances: Following are some of the prominent surveillance techniques used by companies to monitor activities of the staff. Computer surveillance: This is the most commonly used surveillance technique used by the organizations. All the activities of employees over the network are monitored and recorded for monitoring and to ensure that resources of organization are not being misused. All the activities like data, mails, instant messaging and web pages are monitored. Many organizations have content filters on their network to ensure that objectionable and non work related data traffic is minimized. Using services like personal mails or online money transactions is not secured over network in workplace, since network administrators can view all the personal info sent or received. Telephone surveillance: Telephone surveillance techniques monitors the numbers to which calls are made from a connection and some more advanced systems record the conversation on the call also. For such systems, continued human monitoring is not required, installed speech-to-text software convert the conversation to text which can be analyzed by a computer. These system try to ensure that the infrastructure at workplace in not being used for personal work. In businesses like BPOs and customer service, calls are recorded and can be used for assessing performance of the employee. The recorded calls are also used for training and developmental use. ID card swiping: Identity cards provided to the employees also act as a surveillance tool if the same is used for swiping for opening the doors. They serve two major purposes, one they restrict access of employees to the desired work area of the office and two, they also monitor the area in which the employee is present and time spent in respective areas. ID cards have a drawback that an unauthorized person can use an authorized ID card and gain access. For organizations which need to avoid this and protect highly valuable items or information, such access can be given by using biometric scanners. Surveillance cameras: This surveillance technique is the most debated one when discussing pros and cons of surveillance at workplace. For this type of surveillance, CCTV cameras are installed at different parts of the workplace and the video feeds are collected at a single place, where one or more than one person monitors the activities. These video feeds are also recorded and kept in records. This technique generally generates unrest amongst employees because it gives them a feeling that someone is constantly watching them, especially women are not comfortable with this. Arguments: Now, There are two conflicting schools of thought which are present. Those who think surveillance is good, have an argument that surveillance is a guarantor of fairness in the workplace. Contrary to that those who oppose it say that it reinforces unfairness at the heart of employment relationship. Let us observe and analyze both points of views: FOR: Primary reason for any organization for using surveillance at workplace is to improve working efficiency of employees. The assumption is that an average employee gives time to activities other than that related to work like accessing personal mails, chat, etc and they reduce the work efficiency. Surveillance of work place also strengthens the security of the staff. It also ensures security of sensitive data and documents of organization by restricting access of employees. Appropriate utilization of company resources can also be achieved by this. Monitoring emails and restricting internet access also ensures that there is no sexual abuse or harassment which can go unnoticed. If properly implemented, surveillance can eliminate threat of theft from office premises, and if such incidence or other form of crime takes place in office premises, a proof is available. Surveillance cameras can also induce good behavior in employees, when people know that they are being watched, they are less likely to indulge in undesirable activities or misbehave. Most importantly, it is a work environment after all. Hence maintaining professionalism and following the rules and regulations is a duty of all employees. Surveillance is just a tool to ensure it. AGAINST: First argument we get to hear against office surveillance is that it compromises the privacy of employees. A wrong person having access to personal and confidential data like emails, bank transactions, etc of all employees can be of potential danger. There is no freedom of thought since all emails and instant messaging conversations are being read and scrutinized by a third person. Most employees are not comfortable with the feeling of being watched continuously. Basic assumption of surveillance is that employees do not do their work sincerely unless supervised. This kills the devotion and belongingness an employee feels towards the organization. Another assumption behind surveillance is that doing something other than work wastes time and reduces employee efficiency. In reality most of the employees perform better when working under friendly atmosphere, recreational activities help them perform. Many companies have installed recreational facilities in office premises for helping employees reduce work related stress. A camera surveillance system can actually be harmful if not implemented properly. It can induce a sense of security in people, even when the premisis is not safe because the video feeds are not monitored properly. It poses major threat to relationship between employees and employers in a culture which promotes trust, self-motivation and commitment, surveillance can harm because it appears contradicting with it. If the employees do not approve the surveillance, it can lead to employee dissatisfaction, reduced employee engagement, reduced work efficiency and even higher iteration rate. Conclusion: Implementing surveillance at work place can help the organization in improving work culture and work efficiency, but that can happen only if employees approve and accept the same. If they are not happy with it or they do not know the reason for such policy implementation. Hence such policies should be implemented keeping in mind the following: Logic for implementing such policy must be conveyed to everyone. The policy must be applicable to all staff including all levels of the hierarchy. Staff must be informed that the infrastructure belongs to the organization and is to be used for official work only. Staff must be informed about the fact all communication and data stored on organization resources is organizational property and should not be made public. The policy must include zero acceptability for offensive, harassing or discriminating behavior and messages. Employees should be informed that any violation of any rules can invite serious actions including termination. It is reasonable that employees have some privacy in terms of employees opening private mails or looking into financial transactions a person makes. At the same time employees should also be made aware of the boundaries and should be educated about effective usage of resources to benefit employees as well as the organization. References: Bernd Carsten Stahl, 2008, Information systems: critical perspectives Deborah G. Johnson, 1994, Computer ethics‎ - Page 8 Employee privacy rights in the workplace & using video surveillance, Available at: www.video-surveillance-guide.com/employee-privacy-rights-in-the-workplace.htm Frederick S. Lane, The naked employee: how technology is compromising workplace privacy‎ Gareth Crossman, 2007, Overlooked: Surveillance and personal privacy IT Surveillance in the Workplace, available at: www.academon.com/lib/paper/106759.html John Weckert, 2009, Electronic monitoring in the workplace: controversies and solutions LD Introna, 2003, Surveillance & Society, surveillance-and-society.org LP Hartman, 2001, Technology and ethics: Privacy in the workplace Privacy and Surveillance in the Workplace, Electronic Frontiers, available at: www.efa.org.au/Issues/Privacy/workplace.html S Bryant, 1995, Electronic surveillance in the workplace - Canadian Journal of Communication S Miller, J Weckert, 2000, Privacy, the Workplace and the Internet - Journal of Business Ethics. Scott Cox & Tanya Goette, 2005, Workplace Surveillance and Employee Privacy: Implementing an Effective Computer Use Policy. Soraj Hongladarom, 2008, Electronic Surveillance in the Workplace: A Buddhist Perspective Read More