Monitoring Employees in the Workplace
When businesses grow, they use innovative ways to monitor their employees. Monitoring is important not only to keep an eye on the activities of employees but also to enhance their productivity.
Utilizing employee monitoring software is an effective method for overseeing employees. These tools offer efficient surveillance features by monitoring websites visited, emails sent and received, and social media usage.
This article discusses in detail the methods of monitoring employees in the workplace.
What is Employee Monitoring?
Employee monitoring is a method that employers use to track employee activity in order to secure the company’s data and maximize the productivity of each worker. Employee monitoring software is the most effective tool for monitoring the activities of employees at the workplace.
Monitoring software can analyze data automatically and produce reports in real time, allowing companies to observe patterns of inefficiency and make improvements to their business operations.
Features of Employee Monitoring Software
There are many different features of employee monitoring software that employers use at the workplace, including the ones that are listed below.
Website Monitoring
Website monitoring gives users access to the browsing history and online activities of their employees. You can view the websites that an employee accessed and the amount of time they spent on each of them.
App Monitoring
This feature is used to monitor the activities of employees on their devices while they are at work.
Social Media Monitoring
Social media monitoring allows you to view your employee’s social media activity, which can help you determine the amount of time an employee spends on various social media platforms. You can also obtain access to their messages and comments.
Email Monitoring
Email monitoring gives you access to the communications sent and received by your employees via email. You can have access to every email that has been sent, received, deleted, or even archived by an employee.
Keyloggers
Keyloggers enable you to monitor what employees are typing on their keyboards.
Time-Tracking
This feature allows you to monitor your employees’ working hours closely.
GPS Monitoring
GPS tracking allows you to monitor the locations of your employees in case they are using company vehicles. These tools are particularly useful for companies operating in the trucking service industry.
Video Surveillance
This feature allows employers to monitor their staff directly and identify any instances of theft or property damage.
What are the Benefits of Employee Monitoring?
Employee monitoring provides employers with many benefits, some of them listed below.
Employee Monitoring Detects Suspicious Activity
Employee monitoring helps employers identify potentially suspicious user activity, such as viewing confidential papers or sharing information with third parties. This can help protect your company’s sensitive information.
Employee Monitoring Enhances Cybersecurity
Employee monitoring software such as Wolfeye gives you the ability to view saved documents, installed applications, visited websites, and communications that have been received on business devices, such as mobile phones and laptops.
In addition, you can track client data, account information, and business files. This can help safeguard your company from cybercrime, insider threats, data breaches, and suspicious conduct.
Employee Monitoring Supports Feedback and Intervention
In case of inappropriate employee activity, it may be necessary to let go of or penalize a particular employee. Employee monitoring software can provide evidence to back up your actions in such cases.
Employee Monitoring Software Optimizes Team Performance
Employee monitoring software can help you find out which employees aren’t performing as per the company’s standards by reviewing their activity.
For instance, you can identify if an employee spends an excessive amount of time on Facebook or searches the internet for sports scores. In addition, you can also determine which members of the team are overworked and which ones have spare time on their hands.
Employee Monitoring Software Builds Employee Mindfulness
When workers are aware that they are being monitored, they are more likely to be conscious of their activities and reevaluate their behavior more thoroughly before engaging in any activity. This oversight can also help increase employee productivity.
Employee Monitoring Software is Cost-Effective
Employee monitoring software like Wolfeye is generally inexpensive. The annual cost for each user is around $97. The price of your software is determined by the features and number of licenses you require for your fellow employees.
The majority of systems do not impose any extra fees; however, it is common to incur expenses for installation and IP renewal. Additional features, such as mobile licensing and geolocation monitoring, might incur additional costs.
Legality of Employee Monitoring
According to workplace laws, your employer has the right to monitor your activity. For example, this means they can read your emails stored on their server. The only restriction that currently applies is for phone calls.
Employers cannot legally monitor their workers’ private phone conversations without the workers’ knowledge and consent. For all other activities, employers do not need employee consent if employees are using company-issued devices.
Nevertheless, there are certain states that have made progress toward protecting employee privacy. Notifying workers is now a prerequisite to monitoring in the states of Delaware and Connecticut. Before you install the software, make sure to research any software-related laws that may apply to your state.
The laws regarding employee monitoring can vary based on your country. Workers’ right to privacy on the job is a fundamental principle for EU member states. In such countries, employers must be more transparent as they begin monitoring employees’ activities.
Data collection in the European Union requires the explicit consent of all individuals, who must also be notified of the purpose and means of collection.
If you want to achieve the greatest possible outcomes and cultivate a culture of trust, it is highly recommended that you always inform your employees of your intention to install the program and explain its usage.
When employees are aware of what information will be collected and why, it is less likely that they will pursue legal action.
Conclusion
Monitoring your employees using monitoring software can undoubtedly increase productivity and provide insight into their activities. However, it is crucial to respect workers’ privacy and consider the legalities associated with monitoring.