With the Covid-19 pandemic introducing remote working on a scale never seen before, a growing number of organizations introduced increased staff surveillance to monitor what people were doing from home.  Research from the University of St Andrews unsurprisingly finds that such measures eroded the trust employees have in their employer.

The study, which was conducted with the European Commission’s Joint Research Council, suggests that employers should be extremely wary of sacrificing ethics in the search for greater efficiency, with employee engagement and productivity declining if the issue is not managed well.

Keeping an eye

A range of surveillance technologies have entered the market in recent years, whether to record keystrokes, take photographs via webcams, or monitor one’s movements.  These technologies became more popular during the pandemic when people worked from home en masse.  Indeed, the researchers say that the demand for these tools ballooned by 108% during April 2020 as lockdown measures took effect.

“There is a clear need for trust to be rebuilt in the workplace between staff and employers post-Covid,” the researchers say.  “Where monitoring has a specific purpose such as health and safety, it can actually reassure staff. Or in development and training it can provide valuable feedback.”

“However, it can also have negative impacts too. A heavy focus on monitoring the quantity of output can reduce work quality.

“Where there is no explicit purpose for the monitoring, and information is collected for its own sake, negative attitudes can result including: perceptions of decreased fairness and justice, decreased satisfaction, increased stress and a decline in trust.”

Lack of trust

When employees are monitored, it provides a clear signal that managers do not trust them or have confidence in their ability or integrity.  This lack of trust can quickly descend into a vicious cycle.

“Employers impose punitive surveillance which causes the behaviors it was put in place to prevent, as employees try to resist or avoid it,” the researchers explain.  “The social support provided by managers for monitored workers is crucial to avoid some of these negative outcomes.”

If the practice continues to remain popular as we enter what many believe to be an ongoing form of hybrid work, then managers must seriously consider the impact such surveillance will have on their relationship with employees.