In the office, working at home, in the field: Hidden devices scrutinize employees

Source: San Jose Mercury News

... In recent years, growing numbers of employers have been watching every website their workers visit, email they send, computer keystroke they make and document they review or print. Others have engaged in "backspace and delete-button monitoring," believing that "the more employees strike these buttons, the less efficient these employees are," according to a Ciocchetti study.

In the past, this electronic auditing focused on workers in call centers, factories, restaurants and other relatively low-wage jobs. But the practice has become much more widespread, as smart devices hitting the market have become more numerous, easier to use and far more capable of analyzing workers.

... When this newspaper asked the Bay Area's 10 largest tech companies if they electronically monitor their employees' performance, Intel and Cisco Systems said they do not. The rest -- Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Google, Oracle, eBay, Applied Materials, Gilead Sciences and Synnex -- either declined to comment or did not respond.

... Some companies use software to track what their employees do when working on their computers at home, including which websites they visit and how much time they spend on assigned tasks, according to firms that make the monitoring programs. ... Several technology consulting firms also encourage their customers to install the devices on their employees' home computers to ensure, in part, that the workers are properly attired in their houses. As asserted by one of the companies, New York-based Directive, "a person who dresses up for work from their home will have a more productive workday."

... With Hitachi's "Business Microscope," a badge crammed with sensors that workers wear, employers can track who their employees talk to, how often, where and "how energetically," the company notes in a news release. ... Monitoring workers' fitness is increasing, too. ... University of Maryland law professor Frank Pasquale said that even when the data gathering is voluntary, many workers will feel compelled to participate, fearing their bosses will suspect they're hiding something if they refuse.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27132016/hidden-devices-scrutinize-employees