Employee Monitoring Doesn't Have to Stink

Faithful on the Clock is a podcast with the mission of getting your work and faith aligned. We want you to understand Who you're serving and why so you can get more joy and legacy from every minute spent on the clock. Thanks for joining us and taking this step toward a more fulfilling job and relationship with God!Want to join us on social media? We'd love to have you stay up-to-date with the show on all our platforms!TwitterFacebookPinterestInstagramLinkedInYouTubeIn this episode...Employee Monitoring Doesn't Have to Stink https://faithfulontheclock.com/monitoring-employees-doesnt-have-to-stink Companies want to protect their assets. Workers want their privacy. How can employers and their teams use employee monitoring to achieve both goals? Faithful on the Clock Episode 59 outlines why the issue is so murky, along with some best practices for monitoring in an ethical way.Timestamps:[00:05] - Intro[00:30] - The first main issue involved in employee monitoring is employee privacy. Even Jesus had some desire and need to control when, where, and how to reveal information.[01:35] - The second issue is the employer’s responsibility to protect their assets, whether those assets are intellectual or physical. This will always conflict with the need for privacy.[03:14] - Where people balance privacy and asset protection is based on region or culture, as shown in the variance between the U.S. and the EU.[04:26] - The globalization of business means you have to zoom out in your approach to employee monitoring.[05:06] - Employee monitoring is really a matter of whether employees feel valued and heard. Most workers are OK with monitoring if the employer is upfront about it.[06:02] - Having your HR department put your monitoring policy in writing is a basic start to being transparent about what, why, and how you are watching.[06:38] - Incentives can help encourage employees to accept opt-in monitoring you might want to do.[06:58] - Follow the rule of not asking employees to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself. If you’re not sure what they think, use surveys and other tools to find out.[07:39] - Employees can play a big role in keeping employees accountable. [08:22] - Employees also can help their employer develop employee monitoring policies and tools. [09:22] - Everyone has an interest in protecting the business, so ultimately both employer and the employees are on the same team about monitoring. The story of Joseph in Genesis shows the benefit of good oversight and how it can be a unifying strategy.[11:37] - Prayer[12:21] - Outro/What’s coming up nextKey takeaways:There are two contrasting needs involved in employee monitoring–the desire of employees to have privacy, and the desire of employers to protect their assets.The balance between employee privacy and employer asset protection is largely culturally set. Some locations lean more toward privacy, while others toward letting companies protect the assets. In a global market, this can get incredibly complex. It means that we need to zoom out and have a broader view of how to approach the issue, rather than just looking at regulation alone.Employee monitoring relates heavily to whether employees feel valued and heard. Transparency matters, with most workers saying they’d be less worried about monitoring if their employers were just upfront.Employers can work toward transparency in monitoring by putting monitoring policies in writing and updating them as needed. They can also offer incentives for opt-in monitoring, and assessing how comfortable they would be complying with the monitoring requirements.Employees still can have a big influence on monitoring practices. They can hold their employers accountable, such as asking for a rationale for unequal application of monitoring rules; file complaints or lawsuits, and democratically seek to get involved in the implementation process.Everyone is on the same team when monitoring is taking place. Everyone in the company, regardless of level or title, has an interest in ensuring the company is protected and does well. The story of Joseph in Genesis is an example of how good, transparent monitoring ended up unifying a dysfunctional family. Why did Jesus want his miracles private? · Wisdom InternationalHow much employee monitoring is too much?Managing Workplace Monitoring and SurveillanceIs it legal to monitor employees without their knowledge? - WorkTimeSpying on Your Employees? Better Understand the Law FirstCTAs:Update yourself on what your company monitors and why.Look at upcoming initiatives and create concrete, collaborative action plans about any monitoring those goals and projects might need.What’s coming up next:Good communication can make or break a business. Episode 60 of Faithful on the Clock explores common communication pitfalls, as well as the hallmarks of successful interactions.Support the show!Visit the Faithful on the Clock Patreon page to choose a tier plan and become a supporting member. 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