How to Monitor Employees from a Foreign Country?
Work is no longer confined to four walls and office cabins. Remote work is becoming increasingly popular, with the percentage of remote workdays rising from 7% in 2019 to 28% in March 2024. This trend is widespread, with companies hiring globally and 12.7% of the global workforce now working remotely. However, managing a remote workforce across borders presents challenges because productivity requires employee monitoring.
Effective remote employee monitoring necessitates a balanced approach that prioritizes transparency, trust, and legal compliance. By utilizing employee monitoring software like Wolfeye, Anydesk, and Hubstaff companies can foster a secure and efficient remote work environment.
This article aims to provide an overview of the legal framework surrounding employee monitoring, explain different monitoring techniques, and suggest best practices for developing a policy that is advantageous to both sides.
How to Monitor Employees?
Overseeing a workforce that is spread out geographically can be daunting. Balancing several time zones while maintaining productivity, protecting data, and building a strong sense of teamwork is challenging.
In this case, employee monitoring tools can be imperative, providing valuable data and encouraging a productive remote international team.
Employee Monitoring Softwares
Real-time updates on project progress and employee activity are available anywhere in the world through employee monitoring software like Wolfeye.
You can manage multiple work screens in real-time from one location with software such as Wolfeye. With its features, you can see all of your employee’s desktops. Wolfeye also allows monitoring CCTVs making it easier to monitor the workforce remotely.
Advanced playback is an additional feature. Using a timeline and filters for date, time, or motion detection, searching recordings is simple. Additionally, Wolfeye protects the privacy of your footage and adds a security layer via two-factor authentication.
Wolfeye’s scalable architecture can handle a few cameras or a large network, allowing you to easily add more as your needs grow. With this worldwide visibility, employers can spot obstacles early on, take necessary action, and maintain project progress.
Time Tracking Software
Taking time zone differences into account can help you optimize the performance of your international team and streamline processes. Some popular time-tracking software are Clockify, TimeCamp, and Toggle Track.
Secure Communication Channels
Using secure platforms for work emails and chats is crucial. This ensures information exchange adheres to company policies and complies with local and international data security regulations. Some popular mediums are Slack, Gmail, and Discord.
Although monitoring has benefits, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s a tool for empowerment rather than micromanagement. It’s critical to communicate clearly about the goal and techniques of the monitoring.
Drawbacks of Employee Monitoring
There are drawbacks to workplace monitoring, but they are all related to negative opinions, fear-based cultures, and the incorrect application of overly stringent monitoring regulations.
You can solve them by selecting an employee monitoring system that prioritizes security, privacy, and trust such as Wolfeye.
Distrust Among Employees
Employees who are constantly monitored may feel as though they are being micromanaged. Morale may suffer and animosity may grow as a result. Imagine a team that is concerned with every keystroke and is always looking over their shoulder.
This reduces employee engagement overall by creating a stressful work environment where employees are reluctant to try new things or take risks.
Hinders Creativity
Constant surveillance can hinder creativity and innovative thinking. Workers who believe that everything they do is being monitored might be less willing to take chances or look for unusual solutions.
The freedom to explore and experiment can be obscured by a fear of making mistakes, which can encourage a culture of playing it safe rather than pushing boundaries.
Privacy Concerns
Concerns about privacy invasion are driven by employee monitoring, especially in countries with strict data protection regulations. The thought of having every email, website visit, and keystroke tracked may make employees uneasy.
This may be particularly the case when private communications or information are exchanged via work-related devices.
To build trust and guarantee that staff members are aware of the data being monitored and its intended use, it is imperative to have clear policies and communicate openly.
Understanding these potential drawbacks allows employers to weigh the benefits of monitoring against the drawbacks. To foster a productive and positive work environment, there must be a balance between accountability and employee trust.
Employee Monitoring Laws in the US and EU
When we hear the term employee surveillance, one of the first things that comes to mind is, “Is it legal to monitor employee activity?”
Every country has certain laws in place for employee monitoring. These laws provide the frameworks that allow employers to watch over and gather data about workers both inside and outside of the workplace.
US Monitoring Law
In the United States, most employee monitoring methods are legitimate. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is a law that allows employers to monitor work emails and messages if they have an adequate reason to do so.
There are two main things to remember:
- Transparency: Employers must inform employees that they are being monitored.
- Justification: There must be a legitimate business reason for monitoring, not simply suspicion or a desire to spy.
Given that all US businesses must have policies in place, it is critical to clearly explain how employee monitoring operates within your company’s policies. This reduces misunderstandings and builds trust among your employees.
EU Monitoring Law
The majority of employee monitoring practices are legal in the European Union (EU).
However, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) places strict restrictions on employee data collection and surveillance, requiring transparency and employee consent.
The GDPR aims to hold organizations accountable and protect the personal data they collect. It applies to all organizations operating within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Ethical Employee Monitoring
To ensure a balanced and ethical approach to remote employee monitoring, transparency is essential. Employees should be fully informed about monitoring policies, including the types of data collected and their purpose.
Additionally, obtaining employee consent, particularly for methods that may raise privacy concerns, is critical.
Furthermore, monitoring should be proportionate, focusing solely on work-related activities and avoiding any interference with personal matters.
Employees deserve a clear work-life balance, which employers should respect. Finally, strong security measures are required to protect all collected data and employee privacy.
Conclusion
The upsurge in remote work has completely changed the way businesses operate. Even though geographical limits are no longer as important, maintaining a productive and engaged workforce is still crucial. Remote employee monitoring shows up as an option in this context. To use this tool effectively, companies must strike a careful balance between protecting employee privacy and maximizing productivity.