The Unblinking Eye: Employee Monitoring in the IoT Era

informationweek.com ^

[BenLurkin]

The sensors do not need to be carried by the employees to raise potential privacy concerns. In a connected workplace, data about employees can be captured in any number of ways. Sensors connected to equipment -- forklifts, for instance -- could provide detailed information about an employee’s movements. Again, harvesting and using this data could open up a Pandora’s box.

Unfortunately, a myth persists that an employee’s privacy rights end the moment he or she walks through an employer’s door. The reality is more nuanced in the United States, where employees can and do bring claims against their employers alleging that monitoring activities invade their privacy, especially when the monitoring is high-tech or unexpected. And the myth is fundamentally wrong in places outside the United States, such as in Europe, which views privacy as a fundamental human right that follows employees into the workplace and thus imposes broad restrictions for monitoring employees.

Other stakeholders may have a say in employee monitoring as well. Unionized employers will need to consider their potential obligations to consult or bargain with the labor unions over employee monitoring programs. Employers will also need to assess their obligations under local employment laws to consult with works councils or other employee representatives and potentially to register with (or even seek approval from) local data protection authorities of certain employee monitoring activities. Employee monitoring activities that may be permissible in one country may be problematic in another, so it is important to consider local laws and practices.

To reduce the risk of employee claims and reputational harm, companies should keep a few best practices in mind:

Give proper notice to employees....

Be thoughtful about what you collect and collect only what you need....

Be thoughtful about how long you maintain the data....

[amihow]

Gee. Can’t pick your nose or scratch itchy parts or ?????

[Organic Panic]

I used employee snooping to my benefit. I had two completely useless engineers I supervised. I couldn’t fire them without documentation. I knew they spent all day online which was fine since any work they did took three times as long to fix. So, my boss approved me printing out their web browsing and they were fired the next day.