Do We Really Need Employee Monitoring?

I just wanted to see some cool features in Moodle and I logged into the LMS after 2 years. Well, it’s more than 2 years. I checked the forum discussion we had for Information Security module during my masters, because I could see some companies are moving towards employee monitoring!

So here is my opinion at that time in November, 2013.

“I understand your points of employee monitoring. But I do not agree with that as it kills the employee productivity and employee freedom. The best out of employees come, when they have the full freedom at work. As humans we all fight for freedom. But I believe monitoring violates that basic principle. Employees spend most of their time per day at work. Nearly 2/3 of effective awaken hours are spent at work. So for employees their 2nd home is the work place. So it should be a place where they have freedom. How would you feel, if your emails and Skype chats are wire-tapped? Do you think work should only be work? Work should be a closed system where you cannot even communicate with your loved ones? How would such a place be attractive and nice to work? Definitely I will quit such organizations. Because I hate when people monitor me, I have confidence in what I do and I know that I will not place my work place at threat. Majority of the employees are like that. They prefer independent nature of working, rather being monitored. If an organization starts monitoring such people, the creativity, innovation and empowerment will be killed.

I have a different opinion. Why would an organization need to monitor their employees? That means organization does not trust their employees? So to overcome that problem, why one would bring out employee monitoring? Monitoring is not the best strategy for that. I believe organizational culture comes into action here. It can play a massive role here to establish trustful culture and environment. I believe by building up a culture which employees are loyal to its organization as well as organization can rely on employees, there is no need for monitoring. In this way an organization can benefit more than the way it tries to achieve by monitoring.”

Even today, I stand the same. And I feel, companies have failed the mission of maintaining the trustful culture they had back then and that is the reason why they have to move towards employee monitoring!