Analysis: Data indicates employee activity is increasing, but many organisations can't shake the 'productivity paranoia'
How much does your boss know about you? Probably more than you think. It may come as no surprise that employee monitoring and productivity surveillance have become a fundamental part of our everyday working environment. Profit-driven organisations are increasingly tapping into monitoring software and technologies that measure employee performance and manage workflow in a relentless bid to satisfy emerging market trends driven largely by output and efficiency.
The Covid-19 pandemic created a new market for employee monitoring software, with many organisations taking steps to ensure that 'out of sight' did not equate to ‘out of mind’ or at least ‘out of their mind’ for their workforce. Recent research indicates that by the end of this year as many as 70% of organisations will actively monitor their employees as demand for employee surveillance software has surged. Interestingly however, current trends indicate that employees are arguably more productive than ever, with Microsoft reporting that the number of meetings attended by the average global Microsoft Team member has increased by 153% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. They also reported that the overlapping of meetings – whereby employees are ’double booked’ - has increased by 46% since 2022, with a further 42% claiming to multitask during online meetings in an effort to get their work done.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, The rise in employee tracking and surveillance
So, if current data is strongly indicating that employee activity metrics are in fact increasing, why are so many organisations questioning employee productivity and output? The answer is simple – productivity paranoia. The move towards a hybrid working environment has most certainly reshaped the working world as we once knew it, opening doors in terms of improved flexibility, access to a wider talent pool as well potential cost savings for both employer and employee.
However, the notion that employees will ‘slack off’ if they work from home can be difficult for some organisations to shake, putting significant strain on the employee employer relationship by creating an ‘us versus them’ culture. And while forms of micromanagement have arguably long existed in the workplace, it is the capability of these emerging technologies to turn an employee into a commodity that is of greatest concern. Performance management software can literally capture anything and everything on a continuous and often real time basis allowing managers to gain detail data driven insights into their employees’ behaviours and performance.
Such monitoring can be difficult to challenge however, as it is often framed in a way that supports the employee while protecting the organisation. Further, the increasing sophistication and pervasive nature of these technologies can make it virtually impossible for employees to create boundaries in an effort to buffer themselves from the ever-watchful eye of management. If left unchallenged however, these practices can seriously impact an employee’s workplace performance, create feelings of resentment, reduce morale and increase incidents of counterproductive type behaviours which overtime will negatively impact the organisation.
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A study conducted with An Garda Síochána found that frontline gardaí were concerned that senior management of the force were using specific technologies to micromanage them while on duty. Garda members who took part in the study were concerned that members of management were using their GPS enabled TETRA radios to source their location data in an effort to scrutinise, target or discipline them, rather than for resource allocation or their own protection.
"They’re constantly monitoring where you are, what you are doing", "It’s becoming a tool to micromanage and supervise people that are just doing their jobs" and "It’s big brother watching you" were just some of the concerns voiced in this study. In addition, a number of gardaí describe how the conventional style of policing work, traditionally conducted using ones’ own initiative has been negatively impacted as a result, with many suggesting it compromised their ability to do their jobs effectively. GPS enabled location monitoring was shown to have a significant negative impact on gardaí morale, with a number of gardaí describing how use of their TETRA radio to monitor their work locations was causing additional stress for them.
Other areas of the study report how gardaí are often anxious in the knowledge that they are being heavily monitored, with some opting to leave their radios behind when going on duty, removing the aerial or simply turning their radios off in an effort to prevent management from keeping tabs on them. "Do I need to tell Control that I am going to visit an old lady because she is lonely? No, But I feel like if they don’t know where I am they are going to be hounding [me]" voiced one gardaí. Others voiced concerns that they felt unable to stop off to grab a coffee while on night duty or even break for lunch a few minutes early for fear of the consequences they would endure as a result.
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Overall, 64% of garda members who took part in the study reported that location-monitoring demoralised them, with 48% noting it made them feel weak and powerless as a result. The result? 81% of gardaí believe that management’s decision to actively monitor their location is a clear indication that they do not trust them to do their jobs – the ‘us versus them’ culture at its finest.
In short, while the potential benefits of monitoring technologies for employers may be compelling, it is clear they contain real and significant drawbacks for employees. The ‘peace of mind’ employers seek through use of productivity and performance analytics can be viewed as oppressive control in the eyes of the employee. Does work workplace surveillance help us or harm us? That’s up to you to decide.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
