Written by the Founding Fathers to establish a standard of American, the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution permits all citizens the right to privacy and not be subject to unreasonable and unwarranted searches and seizures (U.S. Const., n.d.). In a modern world where the presence of technology is increasing, the relationships that humans have with technology with privacy becomes more perplexing as the boundary at which the technology infringes upon our privacy becomes progressively more unclear. It is a widespread practice in the workplace for employers to utilize information collected from data-gathering devices, most of which are known under the blanket term “sensors,” to improve the well-being of the company whether it be
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Paradiso, an MIT professor who directs the MIT Media Lab Responsive Environments Group, in the July 2014 edition of Scientific American discusses the increasing ubiquitousness of sensors and their potential future ability to fix gathered information upon human perception in ways that cannot be foreseen at the moment (Dublon & Paradiso, 2014). It is indicated here that in the future, these types of sensors can be implemented in a workplace in secretive ways that monitor every single action or movement made by an employee. Furthermore, employers could — in the future — readily have access to data that is both continuously updating and accurate. While this scenario could cause employer-employee tensions, in a 2012 study performed by the Aberdeen Group, a technology and services firm, 45% of companies said that monitoring service technicians was important in improving field service, which is a significant statistic (Dutta, 2012). Furthermore, in a study by the practice insights and technology group Research CEB, around half of employees show indifference towards their employers being able to analyze their emails and use motion sensors in the workplace (Research CEB, …show more content…
Throughout the work day, there are several opportunities for employers to monitor their employees, including requiring employees to identify themselves by signing in with their badge, to recording and checking security footage. The advancement of technology has allowed “sensors” to become more than just ID badges, but now intricate motion sensors and tracking devices. In a Mother Jones article written by human rights reporter and journalist Mac McClelland, she details an Amazon employee’s experience in a warehouse. Stockers had their “movements tracked as they load and unload products from docks, and their minutes and distance are catalogued as they crisscross the lengths of the warehouse” (McClelland, 2012). The situation above demonstrated how intricately the Amazon employees were tracked. A prevalent method of tracking employees is called the Automatic Call Dialing System (ACD), which can record calls and track administrative work between calls (Lankshear et al., 2001). Employers tend to also monitor and evaluate their employees personally by “accessing their calls or call recordings remotely” and “interactions” (Lankshear et al., 2001). Lankshear is a researcher in qualitative social research at the University of Plymouth. Clearly, technology in recent years has paved its way to make sensors progressively more
Paradiso, an MIT professor who directs the MIT Media Lab Responsive Environments Group, in the July 2014 edition of Scientific American discusses the increasing ubiquitousness of sensors and their potential future ability to fix gathered information upon human perception in ways that cannot be foreseen at the moment (Dublon & Paradiso, 2014). It is indicated here that in the future, these types of sensors can be implemented in a workplace in secretive ways that monitor every single action or movement made by an employee. Furthermore, employers could — in the future — readily have access to data that is both continuously updating and accurate. While this scenario could cause employer-employee tensions, in a 2012 study performed by the Aberdeen Group, a technology and services firm, 45% of companies said that monitoring service technicians was important in improving field service, which is a significant statistic (Dutta, 2012). Furthermore, in a study by the practice insights and technology group Research CEB, around half of employees show indifference towards their employers being able to analyze their emails and use motion sensors in the workplace (Research CEB, …show more content…
Throughout the work day, there are several opportunities for employers to monitor their employees, including requiring employees to identify themselves by signing in with their badge, to recording and checking security footage. The advancement of technology has allowed “sensors” to become more than just ID badges, but now intricate motion sensors and tracking devices. In a Mother Jones article written by human rights reporter and journalist Mac McClelland, she details an Amazon employee’s experience in a warehouse. Stockers had their “movements tracked as they load and unload products from docks, and their minutes and distance are catalogued as they crisscross the lengths of the warehouse” (McClelland, 2012). The situation above demonstrated how intricately the Amazon employees were tracked. A prevalent method of tracking employees is called the Automatic Call Dialing System (ACD), which can record calls and track administrative work between calls (Lankshear et al., 2001). Employers tend to also monitor and evaluate their employees personally by “accessing their calls or call recordings remotely” and “interactions” (Lankshear et al., 2001). Lankshear is a researcher in qualitative social research at the University of Plymouth. Clearly, technology in recent years has paved its way to make sensors progressively more