Be sure to protect the privacy of your employees if you want to install specific software to assist you track their productivity when they work from home. After all, the majority of workers take pride in producing their finest work and are aware that delivering timely, high-quality work is the best way to progress in your profession. Of course, there might always be a small percentage of workers who need direct supervision to stay completely motivated or who are a little lazy.
Make sure that management representatives at your company thoroughly go over all of the following common reasons for selecting formal monitoring over numerous daily check-ins with employees to assess their progress, given the numerous new issues that can arise after computer monitoring software is installed. This significant list is followed by discussion of other connected subjects.
Questions that businesses might use to determine whether to use monitoring software
- Will using software to track work activities boost productivity and efficiency?
- Even if employees aren’t utilizing company-issued laptops or are always using our company network, do we still need to formally monitor appropriate and inappropriate internet usage? Since both state and federal laws are involved, this is frequently the question that most businesses need to ask their Houston company law expert directly.
- Can we install and use monitoring software on every staff computer in the state of Texas? Before choosing to install monitoring software, it is usually advisable to review the state of Texas’s laws regarding an employer’s rights, particularly in cases where workers are using their personal computers. The majority of businesses must establish what are frequently referred to as “BOYD” policies. The meaning of this abbreviation is “bring your own device.”
Since all employees will have committed to uphold the BOYD policy as a condition of employment, it is obviously ideal to have one in place already. Ask your lawyer how to properly accept one once an employee is on the payroll if you don’t already have one. The most reasonable justification for asking for formal acceptance and compliance is frequently to tie any new requirements to the necessity of preserving business security.
- Should we let the program take screenshots from time to time?
These can be useful in recording the precise kinds of content that workers are accessing, but they can also be quite invasive. Your business needs to determine whether it wants to simply keep track of every website that is viewed.
- Does webcam monitoring have to be included?
This can be quite invasive and result in non-workers monitoring an employee’s private activities in their home.
- Isn’t it prudent to keep an eye on all database traffic for the company?
Any business can restrict which employees have access to specific database data. If the incorrect workers are secretly accessing confidential information, maybe sharing it with rivals, or utilizing it for their own personal benefit, your company’s security may be in danger.
- Does using a GPS tracking device truly make sense?
Monitoring an employee’s phone throughout the day to maintain tabs on where they go can be overly intrusive, as the author of the New York Times piece mentioned above pointed out. You might want to steer clear of this kind of monitoring unless you need to record that an employee is making in-person calls to clients or performing really specialized activities in particular regions of the city, state, or nation.
The legal ramifications of employee-owned versus company-owned computers
You are permitted to record certain monitoring data when you can demonstrate that the action is connected to a valid, business-purpose exception, as your Houston company law attorney can elaborate. Additionally, you should make sure that you get the proper kind of authorization from your staff beforehand, making it obvious that you are only attempting to safeguard your proprietary business interests.
Always review the terms of your current employee handbook, whether it is available online or in hard copy, before beginning any new computer monitoring activities. Ideally, you have already set aside some permissions to implement additional security measures as needed. Make sure you update this information as needed and notify staff members of any changes.
Think about whether it would be wise to launch this kind of software on a trial basis
If you do choose to deploy employee monitoring software, you should think carefully about doing so for a predetermined period of time. After all, there might not be a single ideal piece of software for every unusual or imaginative office work. This strategy may help allay some employees’ concerns if you let them know that you will consider their opinions about the program before deciding to integrate it permanently into their work-from-home routines.
Some of your top performers may look for better positions that offer significantly greater privacy protection if you ignore employee concerns.
Keep thorough (and dated) notes about everything you are learning in your records while assessing any kind of monitoring program. Additionally, have an open mind if you choose to speak with staff members about data that suggests they should be putting in more effort. At the same time, let them know they have a specific amount of time to improve their performance.
Conclusion
As long as you always base your judgments on the data collected as well as the actual quality and amount of the work being produced, employee monitoring software that is appropriately tailored to the type of work your firm conducts can be quite valuable. Consider carefully discussing the best types of employee monitoring software such as Controlio for your particular requirements with friends and coworkers that work for larger organizations. If you don’t have these contacts, you can look up information online and then see how the Better Business Bureau rates the company you choose to consult about buying and setting up monitoring software. An employee of the Small Business Administration (SBA) might also be able to provide you with some solid recommendations.
