The Dangers of Over-Monitoring in the Workplace
The Human Factor
Maybe an Alzheimer’s patient is frightened, so a nurse has to spend some time calming them down, or perhaps they have lost some ability overnight. That’s not one of the discrete physical tasks that can be measured. Most of the job is helping that person cope with declining faculties; it takes time for that, for people to read your emotions and respond appropriately. What you get is massive moral injury with this notion of efficiency.
Extending to Service Workers
This kind of monitoring extends to service workers, including servers in restaurants and cleaning staff, according to a 2023 Cracked Labs’ report into retail and hospitality. Software developed by Oracle is used to, among other applications, rate and rank servers based on speed, sales, timekeeping around breaks, and how many tips they receive. Similar Oracle software that monitors mobile workers such as housekeepers and cleaners in hotels uses a timer for app-based micromanagement—for instance, "you have two minutes for this room, and there are four tasks."
The Problem with Standardization
As Christl explains, this simply doesn’t work in practice. "People have to struggle to combine what they really do with this kind of rigid, digital system. And it’s not easy to standardize work like talking to patients and other kinds of affective work, like how friendly you are as a waiter. This is a major problem. These systems cannot represent the work that is being done accurately."
The Challenges of Measuring Knowledge Work
But can knowledge work done in offices ever be effectively measured and assessed either? In an episode of his podcast in January, host Ezra Klein battled his own feelings about having many of his best creative ideas at a café down the street from where he lives rather than in The New York Times’ Manhattan offices. Anderson agrees that creativity often has to find its own path.
The Dangers of Over-Monitoring
Say there’s a webcam tracking your eyes to make sure you’re looking at the screen. "We know that daydreaming a little can actually help people come up with creative ideas. Just letting your mind wander is incredibly useful for productivity overall, but that requires some time looking around or out the window. The software connected to your camera is saying you’re off-duty—that you’re wasting time. Nobody’s mind can keep concentrated for the whole work day, but you don’t even want that from a productivity point of view."
The Consequences of Nonstop Monitoring
Even for roles where it might make more methodological sense to track discrete physical tasks, there can be negative consequences of nonstop monitoring. Anderson points to a scene in Erik Gandini’s 2023 documentary After Work that shows an Amazon delivery driver who is monitored, via camera, for their driving, delivery quotas, and even getting dinged for using Spotify in the van.
Trust Issues
The fixes, then, might be in the leadership itself, not more data dashboards. "Our research shows that excessive monitoring in the workplace can damage trust, have a negative impact on morale, and cause stress and anxiety," says Hayfa Mohdzaini, senior policy and practice adviser for technology at the CIPD, the UK’s professional body for HR, learning, and development. "Employers might achieve better productivity by investing in line manager training and ensuring employees feel supported with reasonable expectations around office attendance and manageable workloads."
Conclusion
The dangers of over-monitoring in the workplace are clear. It can lead to damage trust, negative impact on morale, and stress and anxiety. Instead of relying on data dashboards, employers should focus on leadership and line manager training to ensure employees feel supported and productive.
FAQs
Q: What are the consequences of over-monitoring in the workplace?
A: Damage to trust, negative impact on morale, and stress and anxiety.
Q: Can knowledge work be effectively measured and assessed?
A: No, creativity often requires a degree of freedom and autonomy, which can be hindered by over-monitoring.
Q: What is the alternative to over-monitoring?
A: Leadership and line manager training to ensure employees feel supported and productive.
Q: What do most workers think about the use of AI to track their movements and work?
A: 56% of US workers are opposed to the use of AI to keep track of when employees are at their desks, and 61% are against tracking employees’ movements while they work.
