Learn How to Set Up Employee Monitoring Policies in the Workplace

Workplace monitoring or employee monitoring has become the need of the hour. No company can imagine operating without the presence of employee monitoring solutions deployed in the workplace. With employee monitoring tools set in place, employers can enhance employee productivity and employee engagement.

Employers can track which employees are truly dedicated and focused on their job and which ones are just slacking off. This can help them evaluate the employees’ performances and decide which ones should be terminated from the company.

Each business should have employee monitoring policies in place that covers staff monitoring. Your employee monitoring policy should highlight your reasons for using the employee monitoring tools in the first place as well as the benefits that they bring to your business. You need to explain to your employees about the monitoring solutions are set in place in the workplace and also tell them how their data collected from monitoring tools is going to be recorded and used. 

What is Employee Monitoring Definition?

Here’s the accurate employee monitoring definition:

Employee monitoring includes the use of all the methods and processes in the workplace to gather data and information on all the work-related activities and locations of employees and staff members.

Employers can use employee monitoring tools to keep a watch on their employees’ activities and locations during working hours. No matter what an employee does in the workplace, all their activities and movements will be recorded and shared with the employer on a regular basis.

Employee monitoring solutions are used to increase productivity and employee engagement. They are also used to protect the company’s sensitive data from outsiders. Moreover, it also prevents the employees from sharing the company’s data with third-parties and outsiders. All in all, it prevents data theft in the company.

Most employers also consider deploying employee monitoring tools on their employees’ devices so they can prevent inappropriate and unacceptable behavior in the workplace. This is done so that the unacceptable behavior on the part of employees does not have a negative influence on the company.

Different Employee Monitoring Tools

Companies can use different employee monitoring tools to keep track of their employee’s activity and movements. Several types of employee monitoring tools are available out there.

Employers can use employee monitoring software like Mobistealth, Hubstaff, Veriato, Time Doctor, etc. to monitor their employees during working hours. Besides using an external employee monitoring software, companies can also use other monitoring tools such as keycards, CCTV cameras, network monitoring, email monitoring, internet monitoring, and GPS tracking tools.

Using these tools, employers can keep a watch on what their employees have been doing in the workplace. All their work emails, text messages, phone calls, web browsing activity, social media activity, and location can be tracked with the help of employee monitoring tools.

Setting Up Employee Monitoring Policies

When you begin setting up any kind of employee monitoring policy in the workplace, you also need to keep in mind putting together the rules and standards that would be expected. For instance, if you want to put up CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of the staff, you need to do the following:

• Inform the staff why you are using CCTV surveillance
• Inform them of the nature of the monitoring and to what extent they will be monitored
• Remind them of the consequences if the monitoring reveals breaches of your rules and standards

It is better if you consider consulting with your workers such as trade unions when you are drafting the employee monitoring policy.

Policies on the Use of Electronic Devices

Proper employee monitoring policies need to be designed and implemented on the use of electronic devices. Electronic devices include computers, mobile phones, and tablets that are being used by the employees during working hours. Policies on the use of electronic communications such as email, internet access, social media usage, telephone, mobile phone, and fax should also be designed and implemented.

The policy should set out the rules and standards expected for company use. It should state what personal use should be allowed and when for the employees.

As an employer, you should never monitor your employee’s personal emails as then you would be breaching their privacy. You should only monitor their activity during office hours. No monitoring should take place during off-hours.

Policies on the Use of Company-owned Vehicles

Companies can also set up employee monitoring policies on the vehicles that they own. GPS tracking apps can be installed on the employee’s cell phone or the vehicle so every movement of the vehicle can be tracked.

It’s better that you inform your employees about employee monitoring policies especially those who are using the company-owned vehicles. The policy should clearly state under what conditions employees can use the vehicles for private use.

Are There Any Negative Effects of Employee Monitoring?

Where on one end, employee monitoring brings a host of advantages for the companies, let’s not forget that it can also bring disadvantages to the businesses. The common negative effects of employee monitoring include privacy invasion, reduction in employee morale, discrimination among employees, and a false sense of security.

These are some of the downsides of employee monitoring that every employer must remember. The best solution to tackle the negative effects of employee monitoring is that employers should inform their employees before they begin monitoring their work.