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Software with which the boss can keep an eye on you at home is popular
Translated from Dutch. View the original post
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#privacy on the shop floor. The software can even make a ranking list: from most to least productive workers Companies that provide software for remote monitoring workers see the demand for their product growing. “Employers are trying to get back what they lost because of the coronacrisis. ”
Open and present the work laptop at 09.00, but brush your teeth afterwards — or have breakfast. That last email of the day can also be answered in the queue of the checkout. And an extra cat movie in between, in the boss's time? He doesn't see it when everyone works at home. - Although?
The coronacrisis has a number of remarkable winners. Like the tech companies that provide software to monitor home workers. With employers physically out of sight of employees, companies that provide employee monitoring software see their sales increase. These kinds of programs, from American companies like WorkExaminer, Teramind, Hubstaff or Interguard, provide insight into when employees log in, how much they work, and what they do on their computers.
Interguard (75 employees) does not publish sales and sales figures. However, top man Brad Miller tells us by telephone from the northeast American town Westport that the demand for monitoring software in the Netherlands has tripled since the outbreak of the coronacrisis. The company has about fifteen hundred customers in Europe, he says, accounting for about a third of sales. His customers are diverse. They are in the business services and at headquarters of large companies. Common feature: they want to be able to track employees working on a computer.
Also Hubstaff, headquartered in the state of Indiana, says to see an increase in applications. Around 5,000 customers worldwide there are 220 Dutch. Of the latter, more than half have only recently been purchasers, according to a spokesman. WorkExaminer in New York and Teramind in Florida do not disclose exact sales figures, but also say that demand for their product has increased since the coronacrisis in Europe and the Netherlands.
Active, but unproductive
Interguard software allows executives to monitor computer activity of employees in the office and remotely, Miller explains. The program records when and for how long a PC or laptop is on, and also what the user does on the device. The company offers various packages, available from about 90 dollars per year (80 euros) per tracked computer.
Miller: “When someone logs in, the system becomes active. The software distinguishes between apps, programs and web pages. They get the labels 'productive active' or 'unproductive active'. ”
Companies can choose which programs and sites are “productive” and “non-productive”. For example, email can be marked as productive, chat programs as unproductive. An executive can extract statistics from the system of workforce working hours, productive and unproductive. For individuals, a productivity score can be made. In doing so, the active time is compared to the productive active time. Based on this score, the software can even make a ranking list: from most to least productive employee. Also, the employer can set up productivity goals and find out which unproductive sites demand the most time.
The software can remotely take screenshots of employee displays, an option that Interguard offers only in the US. “European privacy legislation is stricter than the U.S.. Only in the case of judicial investigations in case of suspicion of criminal conduct can this option be added in the Netherlands”, says Miller. This concerns, for example, suspicions of fraud or theft.
Why do companies choose Interguard software? Most employers want to make sure their employees are productive at home, says Miller. “Employers are trying to get back what they lost because of the coronacrisis. In the office, a supervisor can see when someone arrives, leaves and occasionally take a look at the staff screens. ”
But having an insight into what employees do, is that desirable? That's the boss's right, says Miller.
The software can even make a ranking: from most to least productive employee
Call Centres
Monitoring of employees was customary in customer service before the coronacrisis. Recording of telephone calls for quality control is there standard, says Geeske to Gussinklo, Director of Industry Association Customer Service Federation. Customer satisfaction surveys, for example with a survey after a phone call, also test the effectiveness of employees. “We can monitor a lot in this sector,” says Te Gussinklo.
The computer use of employees is also monitored. The systems used show when someone is working and whether someone is talking, answering chat with customers, or doing the administration. “We also see it when someone is not engaged in work, yes. That's very transparent. ”
Many customer service agents have been working at home since the coronacrisis. According to Te Gussinklo, their share has increased tenfold to 80 percent. The boss can also keep control there. Partly because of this, productivity has not been reduced, she says. “We now see that working at home in this way is actually fine for our sector. ”
As an employer, can you use such software in the Netherlands? Under conditions, Demi Grandiek, Legal Adviser at ICTeur. Since the beginning of the coronacrisis, this consultancy firm has received more requests for advice on monitoring software. Grandiek: “Employees should be informed of the use of such software before it is deployed, and employers should be able to argue properly. These arguments should be weighed against the violation of employee privacy. ”
What can and cannot vary by case and sector. A pizza courier may be tracked via GPS to locate the ordered meal, an office worker does not. Customer service monitoring has been accepted because it is about quality control.
Often judgments are guided by the courts to determine the boundaries, says Grandiek. She doubts whether productivity monitoring of home workers during the coronaccrisis is acceptable. “On this, too, the court should finally decide. ”
Employers using monitoring software must comply with the privacy conditions of the General Data Protection Regulation. It sets out how European organisations and companies may use and process personal data. For example, this is only allowed for a specified purpose. “If you use monitoring software because you suspect theft, you may not use the information obtained during a review interview,” says Grandiek.
It is not mandatory in the US, but Interguard recommends that all European customers inform staff in advance about the use of the software, in line with European regulations. But it's not up to the software company to make sure that this actually happens, says top man Miller. Whether, and if so, how many companies have got into trouble using their software, he does not know. “That problem does not lie with us. ”
Do employees themselves find the control justified? Te Gussinklo: “Most people see it as support and like the feedback. Indeed, some people find it awful. But then you don't have to work in our business. ”
The coronacrisis has a number of remarkable winners. Like the tech companies that provide software to monitor home workers. With employers physically out of sight of employees, companies that provide employee monitoring software see their sales increase. These kinds of programs, from American companies like WorkExaminer, Teramind, Hubstaff or Interguard, provide insight into when employees log in, how much they work, and what they do on their computers.
Interguard (75 employees) does not publish sales and sales figures. However, top man Brad Miller tells us by telephone from the northeast American town Westport that the demand for monitoring software in the Netherlands has tripled since the outbreak of the coronacrisis. The company has about fifteen hundred customers in Europe, he says, accounting for about a third of sales. His customers are diverse. They are in the business services and at headquarters of large companies. Common feature: they want to be able to track employees working on a computer.
Also Hubstaff, headquartered in the state of Indiana, says to see an increase in applications. Around 5,000 customers worldwide there are 220 Dutch. Of the latter, more than half have only recently been purchasers, according to a spokesman. WorkExaminer in New York and Teramind in Florida do not disclose exact sales figures, but also say that demand for their product has increased since the coronacrisis in Europe and the Netherlands.
Active, but unproductive
Interguard software allows executives to monitor computer activity of employees in the office and remotely, Miller explains. The program records when and for how long a PC or laptop is on, and also what the user does on the device. The company offers various packages, available from about 90 dollars per year (80 euros) per tracked computer.
Miller: “When someone logs in, the system becomes active. The software distinguishes between apps, programs and web pages. They get the labels 'productive active' or 'unproductive active'. ”
Companies can choose which programs and sites are “productive” and “non-productive”. For example, email can be marked as productive, chat programs as unproductive. An executive can extract statistics from the system of workforce working hours, productive and unproductive. For individuals, a productivity score can be made. In doing so, the active time is compared to the productive active time. Based on this score, the software can even make a ranking list: from most to least productive employee. Also, the employer can set up productivity goals and find out which unproductive sites demand the most time.
The software can remotely take screenshots of employee displays, an option that Interguard offers only in the US. “European privacy legislation is stricter than the U.S.. Only in the case of judicial investigations in case of suspicion of criminal conduct can this option be added in the Netherlands”, says Miller. This concerns, for example, suspicions of fraud or theft.
Why do companies choose Interguard software? Most employers want to make sure their employees are productive at home, says Miller. “Employers are trying to get back what they lost because of the coronacrisis. In the office, a supervisor can see when someone arrives, leaves and occasionally take a look at the staff screens. ”
But having an insight into what employees do, is that desirable? That's the boss's right, says Miller.
The software can even make a ranking: from most to least productive employee
Call Centres
Monitoring of employees was customary in customer service before the coronacrisis. Recording of telephone calls for quality control is there standard, says Geeske to Gussinklo, Director of Industry Association Customer Service Federation. Customer satisfaction surveys, for example with a survey after a phone call, also test the effectiveness of employees. “We can monitor a lot in this sector,” says Te Gussinklo.
The computer use of employees is also monitored. The systems used show when someone is working and whether someone is talking, answering chat with customers, or doing the administration. “We also see it when someone is not engaged in work, yes. That's very transparent. ”
Many customer service agents have been working at home since the coronacrisis. According to Te Gussinklo, their share has increased tenfold to 80 percent. The boss can also keep control there. Partly because of this, productivity has not been reduced, she says. “We now see that working at home in this way is actually fine for our sector. ”
As an employer, can you use such software in the Netherlands? Under conditions, Demi Grandiek, Legal Adviser at ICTeur. Since the beginning of the coronacrisis, this consultancy firm has received more requests for advice on monitoring software. Grandiek: “Employees should be informed of the use of such software before it is deployed, and employers should be able to argue properly. These arguments should be weighed against the violation of employee privacy. ”
What can and cannot vary by case and sector. A pizza courier may be tracked via GPS to locate the ordered meal, an office worker does not. Customer service monitoring has been accepted because it is about quality control.
Often judgments are guided by the courts to determine the boundaries, says Grandiek. She doubts whether productivity monitoring of home workers during the coronaccrisis is acceptable. “On this, too, the court should finally decide. ”
Employers using monitoring software must comply with the privacy conditions of the General Data Protection Regulation. It sets out how European organisations and companies may use and process personal data. For example, this is only allowed for a specified purpose. “If you use monitoring software because you suspect theft, you may not use the information obtained during a review interview,” says Grandiek.
It is not mandatory in the US, but Interguard recommends that all European customers inform staff in advance about the use of the software, in line with European regulations. But it's not up to the software company to make sure that this actually happens, says top man Miller. Whether, and if so, how many companies have got into trouble using their software, he does not know. “That problem does not lie with us. ”
Do employees themselves find the control justified? Te Gussinklo: “Most people see it as support and like the feedback. Indeed, some people find it awful. But then you don't have to work in our business. ”
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