21 January 2008
New software to monitor employee wellbeing and productivity
Microsoft to help keep a digital eye on workers?
Microsoft could soon be helping employers keep watch on employees by way of a sophisticated new software application installed on desktop PCs.
The process will even alert a manager if your heart beat and facial expressions indicate you're stressed or frustrated.
Heart rates calculated
A recent patent filing in the US, reported on SMH.com outlines a system that would, “allow managers to monitor employees’ performance by measuring their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure. Unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer’s assessment of their physiological state.”
The process will even alert a manager if your heart beat and facial expressions indicate you're stressed or frustrated.
"Positive" intentions
Despite immediate worries over privacy, a Microsoft spokesperson suggested in a statement that the application has been designed to improve activity monitoring systems.
The system is also designed to detect when a user needs assistance with their activities and will automatically put them in touch with people who could help.
"This particular patent application, in general, describes an innovation aimed at improving activity monitoring systems and uses the monitoring of user heart rate as an example of the kind of physical state that could be monitored to detect when users need assistance with their activities," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's vice president of intellectual property and licensing.
Privacy issues are of large concern, with both unions and civil liberty groups reportedly complaining over the complete monitoring of employees.
Underlying concerns
Privacy issues are of large concern, however, with both unions and civil liberty groups reportedly complaining over the complete monitoring of employees, which could potentially result in an employee being dismissed following assessment by the software.
Productivity and time wasting in the workplace has come under increased scrutiny in recent months, with much coverage given to the rising use of social media and social networking sites, including Facebook, during business hours.
Have your say
Do you agree with this kind of monitoring system in the workplace? Do you think it will cause communication issues at your organization? Discuss these issues with other comms practitioners by joining the Internal Comms Hub members' group on the Communicators' Network.
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