Workplace Spying Research Paper

Article of the Week Two Workplace spying has occurred for over a century. In the Industrial Revolution, factory workers were timed through stopwatches, while today, employees are monitored through technology. For instance, many companies can legally surveil employees’ internet use, track emails, and even log keystrokes to determine their work rate. Some companies can also identify a worker’s exact location, driving speed, and conversation length. In some cases, workplace spying has proved to be successful in increasing efficiency. Nevertheless, how far can companies go to ensure productivity? Based on the article, “The Rise of Workplace Spying” written by The Week Staff, companies should be able to monitor and track their employees in a workplace setting, however, they should not be able to spy outside of the workplace without reason because it is an invasion of privacy, an implied mistrust of the company's workers, and an unnecessary stressor. To begin with, spying on employees outside of work is an invasion of privacy. This is because workers deserve to have a private life outside of work. The article “The Rise of Workplace Spying” states, “A former sales executive …show more content…
These effects cause employee performance to worsen which is the opposite goal of workplace spying. Companies have the right to monitor their workers’ actions in the workplace due to their policies, but they do not need to keep track of employee's actions outside of work. Instead of constantly monitoring their workers, companies should allow them to have a private life outside of work and trust that their actions off duty will not impact their productivity on duty. This will lift employees’ spirits as they arrive to work, causing their work habits to improve. Afterall, a happy employee guarantees a better