Ethical Concerns on Workplace Surveillance and Monitoring

 Keith Ann M. Buduan

Abstract

Alongside advancement in technology, software, apps and devices related to business particularly workplace monitoring have risen. Supervision and monitoring in the workplace have evolved with the advancement of technology, bringing with it ever-greater opportunities, threats and emerging ethical issues. Every year data collection employee behavior fascinates organizations because it promises better compliance, efficiency and safety. Employers have a legitimate interest in monitoring their workplace to maintain employee safety, protect corporate property, and prevent theft or other wrongdoing. Employees, on the other hand, have a right to privacy and may feel uneasy being constantly scrutinized. The pursuit of these benefits has led to a minefield of unintended negative consequences from surveillance, from repelling current and prospective employees to erosion of trust and autonomy.

Keywords: Ethics, Monitoring, Privacy, Surveillance

Introduction

.    Advancement of technology-enabled more varied and widespread monitoring and surveillance practices in in the workplace. This monitoring is becoming increasingly intertwined with data collection as the basis for surveillance, performance evaluation, and management. (Matescu & Ngyuyen,2019).

According to Ball (2010), employee monitoring is the act of watching and monitoring employees’ actions during working hours using employers' equipment or property while surveillance is "any collection and processing of personal data, whether identifiable or not, for the purposes of influencing or managing those whose data have been garnered (David Lylon, 2008). Surveillance always entails the deliberate collection of information about something or someone. Then it is sensibly and methodically analyzed, and the results are then used to Influence the behavior of the surveillance target. Data must be collected, analyzed, and then utilized in a process of influence. exceeds the original data target. Surveillance always includes the use of power.

Workplace surveillance is recognized as part of organizational behaviour and a management approach to assure quality service and higher productivity in organizations, assuring protection from theft, legal obligations (prevent mortgages) and overspending due to fraud, dishonesty, or misconduct. It is linked to the condition of providing a safe and secure ambience and unbiased environment in the workplace. It affirms the right use of place, hours, and properties of a specific job or organization, distinguishes employees who are and are not carrying their weight and exposes the 'dead wood' workers who neglect their fair portion of the work (Miller & Weckert. 2000). It is supposed to inspire people to accomplish their tasks more successfully and make them feel responsible at work since collected data is being used to teach individuals about greater workplace performance (Miller & Weckert 2000; DeTienne 1993).

Types of Employee Monitoring 

·         Biometrics

Biometrics are primarily used for access purposes but have also been deployed in ‘corporate wellness’ programmes in which employees are encouraged to self-track via body-worn devices. Regarding the former, workplace applications exist for fingerprints, facial features, retina and iris scans, hand geometry, palm print, hand veins, lip movements, stride, and signature. Among other organizational contexts, these include the military, construction, healthcare, retail, and transportation. They also involve access to buildings, rooms, systems, and equipment (Dargan and Kumar 2020). The drawbacks of biometric employment systems, which Crampton (2019) critically frames as a form of "algorithmic governance," relate to both the degree to which they negatively impact social relationships in the workplace and their technical accuracy 

·         Camera.

Camera Surveillance is the use of security cameras to monitor and record activity in a specific area. There are regulations governing the installation of cameras in the workplace. For example, cameras cannot be installed in restrooms or changing areas where workers have a legitimate expectation of privacy44. However, modern worries about digital cameras in the workplace center on issues of justice and equality in the placement, taking, interpreting, and using of pictures; these concerns reflect concepts like social sorting and data protection laws (Hagen, Bighash, Hollingshead, Shaikh and Alexander, 2018). With the ability to quantify video into data and metadata, information that could be discovered through data analysis may now be revealed. Systems may be equipped with features like tracking or facial recognition, or they may take very high-resolution photos that expose details that could be secret even in public like document or phones. Concerns include the effectiveness of policy and management communication about:

o   Transparency: the placement of cameras, what data are captured and why, technological capabilities and data storage and policies on data sharing and use purpose.

o   Access: who has access to technology and data, who can control the data collection process, the security of data storage and who can use the footage.

o    Equality: whether camera placement targets and thus only collects data about certain groups or individuals, whether data concerning all groups is processed and stored in the same manner and whether there are different outcomes for different groups caught on camera.

·         Task Monitoring

Task monitoring focuses on the amount of work completed and how well it is completed.

Problem

As technology permeates every aspect of daily life, information privacy is becoming increasingly difficult to protect as more and more data is gathered, transported, and analyzed for both good and bad purposes. As technology attempts to blur the barrier between the private and public spheres, it becomes more of a sensitive subject. Even established businesses in the field are struggling to keep clients' personal information secure. As a result, privacy has evolved into the most complex consumer protection issue in the digital age, even though it is fundamentally a human right. (Grover, 2015).

The primary concern brought up by organizational workplace surveillance is employees’ right to privacy. There have been many attempts to establish solid philosophical groundwork for the right to privacy. One could argue that the protection of principles like self-determination, which are arguably fundamental to an individual's status as a person, requires the protection of privacy rights. According to this line of thinking, privacy serves to define individuality by drawing boundaries between people. Apart from these broad findings, there is, nevertheless, little agreement regarding the character, scope, and significance of privacy. While some nations view privacy as a basic human right, others do not recognize it as a legal right.

In addition to the right to privacy, there are other issues that could undermine the case for widespread workplace surveillance. It is simple to see how surveillance could lead to a hostile and suspicious workplace, which would be detrimental to productivity and employee morale. The health of the workforce may also be affected; according to one study, workers who are under observation experience anxiety and depression more frequently. Furthermore, they frequently display chronic weariness, strain injuries, and even neck problems.3 Lastly, because employees are under pressure to put in longer hours, it may sometimes be required for them to take care of urgent personal matters at the office. Respecting and considering this reality is necessary while creating monitoring systems. (Pitesa, 2012).

According to Freedman, (2023), the best way to combat the negative effect of employee monitoring is clear communication between the management and the employees. Being transparent is always a good practice. Because many employees feel uncomfortable being monitored, it’s important to be forthcoming about what you hope to accomplish and how surveillance aligns with your business’s goals. Employers can strengthen trust by communicating with employees openly and honestly. All monitoring policies and procedures should be clearly communicated to new employees. Current employees should receive notice if any changes are made. In addition, employees should have access to the data employers collect about them and the ability to challenge interpretations of it.

Conclusion     

The ethics of workplace monitoring and surveillance is a complex issue that involves balancing the interests of employers, employees, and society as a whole. Employers have a legitimate interest in monitoring their workplace to ensure the safety of their employees, protect company property, and prevent theft or other misconduct. On the other hand, employees have a right to privacy and may feel uncomfortable being constantly monitored. In general, workplace monitoring can be ethical if it is done in a way that respects the privacy and dignity of employees. This may involve informing employees about the monitoring, limiting the scope of the monitoring to specific areas or times, and using the footage only for legitimate purposes. It is also important to consider whether the benefits of the monitoring outweigh its potential negative effects, such as decreased trust and morale among employees. Ultimately, the ethicality of workplace monitoring depends on the specific circumstances and how it is implemented. It is important for employers to carefully consider the potential ethical implications and seek input from employees and other stakeholders before implementing such monitoring.

References

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Freedman, M. (2023). Spying on Your Employees? Better Understand the Law First. Business News Daily. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6685-employee-monitoring-privacy.html

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Hagen, C S, Bigash, L, Hollingshead, AB, Shaickh SJ and Alexander, KS (2018) Why are you watching? Video surveillance in organizations Corporate Communications 23 (2),  274-291.

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