Employee monitoring: resources

Section six of the Personnel Today Management Resources one stop guide on employee screening, comprising a directory of useful resources. Other sections .

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Research

Surveillance and privacy at work

July 1999, by the Institute of Employment Rights

This report from employment law charity IER claims that surveillance methods used in the workplace make the Victorian overseer seem positively lax in comparison. It says that intrusive surveillance can lead to insecurity, loss of trust, feelings of inhibition, stress and discontent. It says the following are particularly intrusive examples: interception of e-mails, listening in to call handlers to check scripts are being followed in a suitably chirpy way, and using computers to count individual key-strokes and to check on the amount, quality and kind of work done.

Available from the IER, 177 Abbeville Road, London SW4 9RL

Email rules, Policies and Practices Survey 2003

By the American Management Association

Study showing that more than 50 per cent of US firms monitor e-mail usage and enforce policies with disciplinary action, yet fewer than half train their staff on these policies.

Available from www.amanet.org

Internet misuse

2002, by Personnel Today and internet filtering firm Websense

This study of 544 HR managers and officers shows that four out of ten employers are still receiving complaints about staff wasting time on the web, despite 86 per cent of firms having internet use policies in place. Those surveyed believe employees spend up to two hours a week on personal internet use at work. Some 23 per cent of employers have dismissed staff for internet misuse, says the study.

Available from www.personneltoday.com

By Personnel Today and law firm KLegal, 2004

This survey of 212 firms found that e-mail and internet abuse were top of the list for causes of disciplinary action in the UK. It also found that employees are nearly 10 times more likely to be dismissed for exchanging pornographic e-mails than they would be for circulating e-mails which contain damaging information about the company they work for. About 20 per cent of firms surveyed said they monitored employee internet and e-mail use.

Available from www.personneltoday.com

Unions seek stronger safeguards on monitoring in the workplace

4 April 2004

By IRS Employment Review (issue 797)

Monitoring internet use and e-mails

2002

By The Work Foundation

Available from www.theworkfoundation.com

Privacy & Human Rights: an international survey of privacy laws and development

2003

By Privacy International

Available from www.privacyinternational.org

Books and other publications

Internet and e-mail use and abuse

2000

By Clare Hogg

ISBN 0852928815

This includes tips on stamping out misuse such as offensive material, unfocused browsing and breaches of privacy.

Available from www.cipd.co.uk

Internet and e-mail policies

2002

From the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service

Available from www.acas.org.uk

Privacy and Communications

2001

By Hammond Suddards Edge

ISBN 08529229420

Available from www.cipd.co.uk

Psychosocial risk factors in call centres: an evaluation of work design and well being

2003

From the Health and Safety Executive

ISBN 0717619737

Stress levels among frontline call handlers in UK call centres were found to be significantly higher than among benchmark groups in other occupations, according to research by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) reported by IRS (see Hanging on the telephone). Constant performance monitoring was highlighted as being associated with poorer well being among call handlers.

The HSL's report reveals that eavesdropping- electronic performance monitoring by supervisors listening in to calls - is a major cause of work-related stress.

The report was carried out among 1,141 employees in 36 call centres in 19 organisations. Results were compared with data from national benchmark occupations in a range of clerical, shop floor and administrative occupations. Call handlers are defined as employees who spend a significant proportion of their time responding to calls on the phone while simultaneously using display screen equipment.

Available from HSE Books 01787 881165 www.hse.gov.uk

Tolley's Managing email and internet use

2001

By Lynda Macdonald

ISBN 0754513947

Who to contact

Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas)

Provides advice and guidance on recruitment

Brandon House

180 Borough High Street

London

SE1 1LW