How Employers can supervise the Employees without violating their Privacy?
Author: Mehak Jain
Employer:
Monitoring employee is a track which allows monitoring employee’s activities engagement with the work related tasks. Nowadays, businesses using employee monitoring on a computer to measure productivity, track attendance, ensure security and collect proof of hours worked. Employers can legally monitor their employees at workplace as long as the reason for monitoring is important for the business. They can install read postal e-mail, video cameras, computer usage, monitor phone, use GPS tracking and many more.
Role of Managers is Not Always a Bed of Roses:
The role of managers isn’t always smooth sailing, managers use some methods to displays their authority and leadership at the same time as to maintain respect and privacy of their employees[1].
By maintaining good communication with the employees, kept in the loop about ongoing projects, goals, and deadlines and communicate well with employees and inform regular them about what going on within the organization. Encourage them to take all the feedbacks, asking them how they are feeling, that employees can approach with any questions or issue they want to address, so making accessible to employees is critical.
Providing positive feedback to staff which helps them to build up their confidence and encourages them to be involved in the future and it is vital to acknowledge their achievements and efforts they are putting into the organization. And make everyone clear about what is expected from them.
Knowing their members of the team individually not only making relationship on a professional level but on a more personal level too, it will make a better rapport among the team when the manager puts effort in to get to know more a bit about how colleagues are doing and what are they interested in.
A Manager always needs to be a good leader to assert his authority and make important decisions for their teams. Sometimes, it’s very important for a manager to stick on his guns and go with what makes them feel best for business.
Managers need to manage all the conflicts in business whenever there is conflict in the workplace it should not be ignored which lead to a negative impact on the atmosphere which also could have implications for staff productivity, communication among the team so whenever issues arise addressed them straight away before it builds.
Managers should set a good example staff always look for guidance and inspiration so it’s essential that a manager should set a good example for his team and gain their respect. If a manager wants his employee to behave professionally and commit to their work, it’s vital that he should do it first.
Employee Monitoring is Always Double-Edged:
There are some pros and cons of employee monitoring too. The Employer can reap a lot of rewards less waiting time physically watching today’s internet facilities apps to monitor their employees.
Having insights into what the team is doing, if any mistakes occur they can spiral out the control which leads to fewer errors in the projects as well as keeps growing productivity in business.
Monitoring employee identify the lowest and highest performers and reward them accordingly, makingthe workplace safer and increased security.
It’s difficult for managers to keep sync in their team so monitoring can have a huge impact on the ability to connect everyone and make the business work more transparency.
Managers also can understand the strengths and weakness of their employees.
But despite the many advantages there are also some drawbacks to employee monitoring as well – employees sometimes think their manager doesn’t trust them, it also increases stress as they are being tracked which causes anxiety, employees feel it’s unfair, as their actions are being monitored even though the law supports the employer which results in perceived lack of privacy for employees.
Employee Monitoring has some Legal Checks and Limits:
Apart from this, employers need to introduce employees, about the monitoring system and the procedure they are following, explaining to them the benefits of employee monitoring which isn’t only good for employers but also for employees. As well as Employment Law[2] covers all the obligations and rights concerning the employer-employee relationship this law involves legal issues including discrimination, workplace safety, wrongful termination, wages and taxation. These issues are governed by applicable central and state law. The employment relationship is based on a valid contract made between employer and employee and state contract law which dictates the rights and duties of parties involved in the rights of public as well as private employees. Employees have subjective expectations of privacy due to information segregation, passwords and the use of electronic lockboxes. Employee privacy rights include an employee’s activities at work and personal information but company policy dictates those rights. Now through technology employers keep tabs on many aspects of employee workplace activity. They can monitor numerous kinds of monitoring and they are legal and employer do monitor their employee’s activities on some level. Employees should always remember when they use an employer’s equipment their expectations of privacy should be limited.
Employee Monitoring-A Blessing in Disguise:
Monitoring employee regained productivity and improve dramatically teamwork in dynamic, show in actual who deserves a raise or promotions and free up the time and other administration task and force on the needless projects.
Reference:
Ø Labour Laws in India- (Indian) Industrial Disputes Act, 1947)
Ø Contract Law in India- Contract Act, 1872
Ø The visible employee: Jeffrey M.Stanton
Ø https://hubstaff.com/employee_monitoring
[1]https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/management/manager/roles-of-a-manager/31942 [2]https://www.peoplematters.in/article/technology/heres-what-employers-must-know-about-employee-privacy-rights-18814