Should organizations use spying technology to monitor employees?

I think it is not correct way. The working culture will effect and directly the employee efficiency

Spying in this way will contradict the privacy of the employees and they will feel uncomfortable consequently the performance will be lower. There are other techniques like performance appraisal and there's other staff to keep an eye on the working so why is the need of spying on the employee like this. This may increase the efficiency in ths short term but in the long term this policy will lead the company to decline. But I support use of this technique on the employees who are suspected to do some harm to the company. Certain evidences should be there against that employee before using this.

Spying technology to monitor employees creates unhealthy environment which creates a barrier in th relationship b/w employer and employees. Employees do not get the independent environment where one can think beyond expectation and make a difference for the company. It reduces the efficiency of an employees and increases the attrition rate as no human being can work continuously for 10 hrs without having a jovial environment and good relationship with their colleagues.

That indicates the unhealthy relationship between employee and employer. Where the trust level is very low you see management doing micro-management. In this case, the productivity will also go down. If the trust level is high then you do not need to do the micromanagement. In that case Management can focus on more higher level goals. It has been observed that here employees are more creative. Yes there may be few people who may misuse this freedom but you cannot punish all the employees’ just because of few. Those employees can be treated in a different ways to bring them back to focus.

Instead spy on big bosses who has organizations most influential things in contol.

Spying on employee is just affecting their privacy.But it don't means to completely avoid spying as it must be necessary in case of monitoring of anyone's work

Thanks

I am not sure how much you know for taking a strong position on US. Either you are trying to cover-up or something else. Thinks happen everywhere , But you need to look at the situations and change accordingly.

Totally disagree with spying. We are all professionals. Company's should show the right path. Company should be transparent about their policies. Spying is dangerous for employers and employees.

" No "  may not be beneficial in Long term/ short term.

Does not help the organisation on long run, though it might help temporarily.

Monitoring somebody is not only steeling privacy but also no trust on employee. When an employer does not have trust on their employee then how they can do business. The business activity is mainly depends on the trust. 

This is absolutely unacceptable. It's like working with chains tied all over our body. This is pure intrusion into employee privacy. Your minutest gestures are notified to HQ which would be quiet embarassing. Can't imagine about it here!!!huh!!!

Can't imagine eyes prying you during office hours..........this would make one uncomfortable.

Agreed with Neelam.

We are not slaves. Then why monitoring is required? we are doing our work whatever provided to us & we are not doing then our reporter have info @ that  & he should know what to do.

Constant monitoring of an employee by an employer or by a manager is only helpful to increase there rating, but on the other front as being constantly watched by some higher authorities it may decrease the efficiency of an employees due to huge amount of pressure incurred by this monitoring process and it may lead to higher attrition.

Get work out of the employees, but don't try to invade into thier privacy! Monitoring activites such as 'walking' would really stress out the empoyee. I'll tell you for once, I work for a Japanese client, they're workaholic, and life means work for them, thish could suit them but not for us Indians. Life means much more to us than just work!

It inerferes in their privacy. It is against law

Organizations need not use spying technology just for the sake of enabling their performance. After all employees are not machines to gauge their performance. Instead, organizations should invest their efforts to empower, motivate, encourage, train their employees to delivery better performance inline with the business objectives & goals of the respective organizations as well as goals set.

Without having appropriate policies, processes in place & appropriate mechanism for implementation and improvement of the system, organizations wont get the desired level of performance as a system  even after deploying spying tools etc. 

everyone has right of freedom and we live in a  democratic country..

Performance improvement techniques are supposed to be improving performance of the work, and not the performance of the lavatory usage. Hence, I'd be glad to sue the employer who walks with me there. Period.

A job with such level of monitoring sucks.

it is very unfortunate that employees are being monitored regarding their works.. where there is no trust & belief.. one should not work at such places.. it shouldn't happen. i don't support such things..

I am agree with Anup..

Spying will create hesitation in employee, which will effect their performance.

No one is perfect, no not one; all people forget about God. Please do not think this a secular reply. But it does draw from an argument that no one is perfect. We are all human and imperfect. Having said this, I feel that one should invest trust in people and forgiveness of dereliction of duties. We are all imperfect, make mistakes, and will fail each other. Learning to forgive and work with others in a manner that workers will support your activities voluntarily and with enjoyment in their work is usually the optimum manner. I am trying to learn and apply some principals of "Doing Business by the Good Book: 52 Lessons on Success from the Bible, by David L. Steward" into my life. My learning of this is not perfect by any means but I do try to re-apply spiritual principals into my life and work .. 

There are other spiritual books on business that can be discovered and incorporated into ones life. 

Spying shows only the one side of the coin and spyer is free to interpret his own story.  I guess there are better way's to know and counter the Employee than spying.

I Agree with Kiran. The world is for innovations and the Nuclear Bomb is the unavoidable discovery of scientist. Same way the engineers keep doing research and produce on or other product. KDDI has also done the same for We to discuss. In fact the product is a product, how you use it, depends.

As per Mr. Yokohama of KDDI, ""Of course there are privacy issues and any employers should really enter into an agreement with employees before using such a system. But this is not about curtailing employees' rights to privacy. We'd rather like to think our creation more of a caring, mothering system rather than a Big Brother approach to watching over citizens."

The details of the KDDI's product can be viewed on the following link;http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8559683.stm

I think, the whole story or arguments is encircled with additional discussion on 'What are the norms for employees, through which the employer need not to think of spying his employees.' 

My feeling is that it should not be used on regular basis since everybody loves freedom. It may affect work performance. It can be used selectively in case any employee is suspected to do something wrong.  

A person will always be under pressure if he/she comes to know that he/she is being watched. If a person is not able to work freely then definitely efficiency will decrease and even he/she may leave the job. We are human beings and not machine.

If the question is to increase effeciency..there are many other ways to achieve it, but this one would definately not going to help.

Infact implementing this step, will bring the morale of the employee down

Before considering the use or non-use of a technology, first we must ask why? What for is it used? Is it to spy on an employee's time at the office? Is it to spy because the management is doubting about an employee's trustworthyness? 

I think with these questions answered, there will be no need to use a separate product, the existing process can be used effectively.