Is it Possible for Employee Monitoring to Be Done Ethically?
Employee monitoring software has proven to be more and more essential for the new normal of the business world. Even as we draw closer to the end of 2020, most people are still working remotely from the comfort of their home. This has significantly contributed to the demand and increased usage of remote employee monitoring software. Yes, employee monitoring software is helpful, as it provides detailed reporting of staff and computer monitoring during work hours as well as web and app usage, but is the process of employee monitoring ethical? The short answer to that is yes, but only if it is done right.
Steps to Avoid Unethical Employee Monitoring
Avoiding unethical employee monitoring processes can be extremely easy and straightforward. First, it is important to always remember that it is unethical to monitor your remote working employees in secret. Monitoring your remote employees without their knowledge and consent is not only unethical but can even be illegal. It is extremely important to always alert your employees and receive consent from all employees who would be monitored, and effectively explain the process of remote employee monitoring to avoid any misunderstanding.
Second, it is crucial that you only conduct remote employee monitoring during work hours and never outside of them. It is never okay to monitor employees after hours or over the weekend when they are not scheduled to work. Recording and monitoring sensitive data stored on your employee’s desktop is extremely unethical and could lead to serious consequences.
Third, never collect any personal data from employee monitoring. The personal data of your employees is in no way related to work and thus should be kept confidential and private. It is important to use employee monitoring software that only takes screenshots during work hours and that allows your employees to pause their work clock when wanting to research any personal information.
Last but not least, it is crucial for you and your company to establish why you need to make use of employee monitoring software. If the monitoring of your remote employees is done for the right reasons, then it will be done in the right way. Establish your reasons for implementing and making use of employee monitoring software, then decide how you would use the data received from the software and how you would use it to the best of your ability and in your best interest.
Using CloudDesk® To Ethically Monitor Employees
It is possible to ethically monitor your remote employees through the use of efficient employee monitoring software such as CloudDesk®. CloudDesk® remote employee monitoring software provides real-time visibility into distributed workforce activities to increase productivity, improve compliance, and optimize performance. This software is ideal for the ethical monitoring of employees as it only takes screenshots, monitors web and app usage, and captures face ID recognition during work hours, and never more than that. If you wish to learn more about CloudDesk®, please contact m2sys for more information.
