Workers clocking in from home might be welcoming more of the office into their living room than they bargained for.
Legal experts say businesses are increasingly using technology to keep track of their staff’s every move, from personal conversation to online shopping, and even their location at any time of day.
Lawyer-turned-consultant Peter Leonard has specialised in technology and data law for 35 years.
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He’s concerned about the rise of employee surveillance.
“I think it’s very common,” Leonard said.
“The technologies that enable that surveillance are readily available, cheap, easy to install.”
Software available in Australia allows businesses to track their staff’s personal activity on work devices.
Technology primarily used for timesheets can also track keystrokes, time away from the screen, and even employee location.
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“The information is there for employers to use, it just depends on how employers want to use it,” Smart WFM founder Jarrod McGrath said.
“I do see it becoming more draconian.”
Last month, a leaked memo revealed that accounting giant PwC UK told its staff it would track their location to make sure they were in the office three days a week.
PwC Australia says its flexible workplace policy doesn’t include an onsite mandate.
Legal experts want more oversight and say that part of the problem is that surveillance device laws are so out of date, they don’t sufficiently cover modern technology, including mobile phones.
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