Considering some issues before implementing PC monitoring tool

There is a myriad of productive business reasons to monitor employee’s internet activities as well as online communication. The reasons of company’s benefit are productivity measure, confidentiality maintenance and limiting employee misconduct. There are many employers who want to measure employee output including keystrokes, counts etc or those who want to assess the customer contacts chiefly by telephone and email. There are some who monitor just to make sure that the employees are working as per the company’s legal policy and not for inappropriate personal use.

But, pc monitoring can be controversial as majority of employees regard pc monitoring as privacy invasion, disruptive and stressful. And if not done properly, you may end up violating state laws that limit you from monitoring employee phone and computer communications. State laws allows pc monitoring only when certain conditions are met and therefore, all those employers who wish to monitor their employees have to make sure they meet the legitimate ways to do so.

It is quite obvious that any kind of monitoring can result in severe morale issues if not taken care of aptly. Nobody wants to get monitored, chiefly when they are busy in personal, non work related activities, even if they do it at their work-place. To alleviate these issues, the best way to deal is to create a policy carefully and clearly and then clarify what extent of monitoring is imperative. Mentioned below are the ways that might help an organization in clearly defining the outline of PC monitoring strategy:

Create a policy addressing especially to the monitoring of employee communication and inform your employees about it. Tell them clearly that the computer system and services that they are getting are a property of the employer. Inform them that employer holds the right to monitor employee’s e-communication. Explain the work-related permissions and personal telephone, email and internet utilization. Limit them to make inappropriate use of sending, accessing, harassing, defamatory profane material or duplicating, distributing copyrighted material without management permissions and transferring important intellectual information. And educate them that not adhering to all these points will end up in penalties such as termination.

Keep the personal utilization of official services reasonable for the employees. A policy barring all personal use is totally impractical and almost impossible to enforce in any employment environment. Additionally, termination for miniature policy violation will be unfair on the part of employer.

Monitoring should always be kept work-related. If you give a sound and professional business rationale for monitoring to the employees then they will surely accept pc monitoring as a legitimate work-related tool rather than privacy intrusion. Reasons that are acceptable for monitoring will improve employee performance and the quality of work done. If in doubt of improper utilization by employees, then give notice and get their consent on the same. Always remember, that monitoring is legitimate only when you do it with your employees consent.