According to the latest study by GetApp, more than half of SME managers in the UK who use surveillance software admit to overstepping their rights, as determined by law, to monitor employees.
UK, April 6th, 2021 – GetApp, the leading B2B software search website, has revealed the results of a new study that analysed the use of monitoring software by British SMEs.
According to the results, 36% of employees say that their employer uses an employee monitoring and/or surveillance tool. Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, the number of employers using a monitoring tool has increased by 17%.
Most of the managers (94%) said their employees are aware of the tracking measures in place. However, 6% say staff are “quite unaware” and that only managers and those in leadership roles have been informed. 1% say that employees are not aware at all. Furthermore, 11% of employees who are monitored in the workplace say they have not expressly consented to any of the listed aspects of workplace monitoring.
When it comes to outright legal breaches, more than half of managers who use monitoring software (51%) admit to overstepping their rights, as determined by law, to monitor employees. 21% say they have done so at least once by mistake, but 30% admitted to doing so willingly.
Despite the above findings, employees in the UK feel a high level of trust from management. 95% of survey respondents say that their bosses are trusting or very trusting when it comes to getting on with everyday tasks. Also, based on this study, managers view monitoring software as a positive thing for their workforce. 54% of those using it have taken positive measures towards an employee as a result of using the software. These include bonuses, promotions, new projects, or extended responsibilities.
Quote:
“Companies know that monitoring employees can be a sensitive issue of privacy, which can have consequences in their relationship with them. This implies a series of challenges that they have to face.The main challenge is the emotional effect that this practice can have on workers, which can affect their job performance. On the other hand, there are the challenges of communication and transparency about what is monitored, the ethical challenges, and the invasion of the employee’s privacy. Therefore, businesses should keep workers informed about their monitoring system, the reasons for the implementation, and how these practices can benefit them.”
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