Electronic Surveillance of Employees to improve workplace efficiency
Surveillance is more pervasive in workplace. It
is because in today’s information society is epitomized by an economy in which
information handling plays vital role. As a consequences, workplaces are
prewired for information technologies that have surveillance potential, making
Surveillance quicker and easier that it would be without pre wiring. Since last
many decades workplace Surveillance has been steadily on rise and still
increasing. Previously, Surveillance was limited to information that supervisor
could observe and record firsthand and to primitive counting devices. In
computer era, Surveillance can be instantaneous, unblinking, cheap and easy.
In workplace Surveillance, employees are
becoming increasingly concerned about their confidentiality as their companies
are monitoring them electronically more thoroughly than ever before. It has
been observed that certain state efforts to prevent employee electronic
monitoring are not succeeding. Still, employers have genuine reasons for
employee watching.
Electronic surveillance are most prominent
manifestation of contemporary surveillance societies.
The electronic surveillance of a company’s
employees through technology device, CCTVs and spy cameras is an incipient
concept in Indian scenario. Though Surveillance has numerous advantages for
employers but it has many disadvantages as well.
Electronic surveillance helps the employer
monitor the employees, and know how they spend their work day. This helps the
employer assess the output of each employee properly, and to take decisions.
Electronic Surveillance make conscious to
employees. When the employees discern that they are being watched, they focus more
on their projects and try to avoid interruptions as much as possible.
Electronic surveillance acts as a moral check on the employees, inspiring them
to perform at optimum level. Eventually, it augments in employee productivity.
Electronic Surveillance also helps in
averting illegal work. This device assist the employer track any unlawful work
being indulged in by the employees.
Electronic surveillance tools helps to gather
solid evidence against employees indulging in indecent, unproductive or illegal
activities.
Major
drawbacks of Electronic Surveillance:
Electronic surveillance are not feasible for
all types of organizations. In a firm, where most employees are mature and
serious about their performance, it might not be essential at all.
Serious drawback of electronic surveillance
is that it adversely affect employee self-esteem. The employees might feel that
their employer does not trust them, if electronic surveillance is used. It
might deteriorate employer-employee relationship.
It has been seen in many situations that
Electronic surveillance interrupts employee privacy. It interferes with their
right to work at their own pace, guided by their own moral compass. Electronic
surveillance of employees can be damaging in organizations, by fostering an
atmosphere of distrust in the organization.
Sometimes Electronic surveillance may lead to
wrong judgment. An employee who spends part of his/her work time on social
media or personal activities might not necessarily be uncreative. It can be
said that electronic surveillance creates the risk of such employees being misinterpreted
by the managers.
