With hybrid and remote working now the new norm, recent research shows that over half of bosses agree with at least one form of monitoring for those working at home.
The CIPD and HiBob research revealed that of the 2,000 bosses surveyed, 55% agree with collecting information on regular home workers, including the amount of time spent on laptops each day and email sending behaviours to identify the risk of burnout.
However, the CIPD and HiBob are urging employers to be clear to staff about what is being monitored and why – as explained by Hayfa Mohdzaini, senior research adviser at the CIPD: “The move to increased hybrid and remote working has fuelled the debate on employee monitoring practices and what is acceptable.
“Depending on the context, collecting information on home workers can be a positive thing, supporting employee performance and wellbeing, by identifying signs of excessive workloads and burnout.
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Email Jaime“And certainly, it can be necessary in specific roles and industries, for example where there are billable hours. However, when used without a clear reason it will likely be treated with suspicion by employees.
“We recommend that employers be transparent about what they’re monitoring and why, consulting with staff to make sure these measures are necessary and relevant to their role. Employers need to demonstrate how any monitoring software used can benefit employees, while also respecting their privacy and encouraging a culture of trust.”
Ronni Zehavi, CEO and Co-Founder at HiBob, added, “It’s understandable for businesses to want to gain insight into what their staff spends time on or how long anything takes them to do, but collecting more information than is needed to fulfil any audit purpose could undermine trust and impact the relationship between staff and employers, irrevocably damaging employee engagement – the cornerstone of any HR strategy.”
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