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More Companies Keeping Tabs On Employees
from the short-sighted-employers dept
This is a topic that never seems to go away. Should employers be monitoring what their employees do on the internet? A new book, called, The Naked Employee says that it's happening more than ever before, which probably won't come as a surprise to most people. However, it doesn't seem to address the question of whether or not the companies should be doing so. The simple fact is that, most companies, now expect their employees to be "on call" 24 hours a day, and don't seem to have any problem interrupting someone's personal life when a work issue comes up. So, why should employees be punished for doing the occassional personal surfing during work time? Furthermore, I think it can actually increase productivity by letting people blow off steam, or relax for a few minutes here and there instead of having to be "on" all the time. Clearly, some people will abuse the system. However, that doesn't mean they need to be monitored. What should be watched is their output. If they're getting their work done, then I don't see what the big deal is. If they're not getting their work done, then you have a reason to discipline them, no matter what they're surfing. There are, certainly, some exceptions to this rule, but for most companies that are overly monitoring their employees, all their doing is creating a culture of mistrust, paranoia, and pressure - which doesn't necessarily produce a highly productive workforce.
Reader Comments
(Flattened / Threaded)
Why layoff when you can monitor and fire...
It's basic state issued economics. If you can find "misuese" then a dismisal is far cheaper than having to pink-slip that person. In some cases, the company can actually seek damages against the employee.
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two-sided argument
1. I'm paying you to work, not surf.
2. As long as you get your work done, I don't care.
This problem is not knew. If an employee is going to be idle, tracking their Internet usage is not going to solve the problem. If their work is sub-standard, it doesn't matter why. It's time to replace them. If they're the biggest surfer in the office and are also the biggest producer, I'd encourage more people to start increasing their surfing time.
Those that produce well, will, no matter what. Those that do not produce will, will not, no matter what.
Show me a person with a clean desk who always arrives and leaves on time and I'll show you an unmotivated person who only looks at their job, as a job.
Show me a person who comes in early, late, with a desk that only they can recognize, never leaves early and I'll show you a motivated person who can produce and most likely has had gone through many relationships with partners that just don't understand. This person needs to relieve stress because they try to be everything to all people. This person will work well beyond the call of duty and if they need to surf a bit to relieve some stress, then so be it.
If a person does what is expected and then expects a raise each year, I think that is ridiculous. If a person performs at their best beyond the norm, then that person will get the raise without asking.
There are two types of employees:
1. Benefits
2. Liabilities
Benefits increase your bottom line. Liabilities increase their own.
-kid-
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