Using employee physical features to track their activities is becoming an increasingly common practice.
Biometrics involves the use of a physical feature unique to an individual as a means of identifying or verifying them. These physical features could include iris pattern, finger print and voice.
Trade unions and employees have been relatively hesitant to embrace this technology fearing that sensitive information which is stored on a central computer database could be passed on to a third party without their permission or knowledge. Technology companies refute this fear stating that policing and strong data protection legislation would prevent this from happening.
Clocking-in and clocking-out, the most basic level of recording employee activity, has been revolutionised by advances in technology. With the introduction of proximity-tags, key rings, co-tags, barcodes, magnetic strips and the use of the internet, keeping track of employees has never been easier.
Gary Corcoran, M.D. Advance Systems Ireland, says they are not only recording hours worked, but also absences. This enables the organisation to analyse trends in employee activity and behaviour.
At what point do these devices become invasive to the privacy of employees?
Des Laughlin, Technical Director at Advance Systems Ireland, demonstrates how the biometric clock-in system works, using an employee number and the corresponding finger print of that employee.
Paul Farrell, Consultant with I.B.M., talks about the importance of audit trails and how biometrics can play a part in making the trail more efficient.
The ethics debate that surrounds biometrics is only beginning.
An RTÉ report broadcast on 28 February 2005. The reporter is Sharon Ní Bheolain.
