# How to implement ethical employee productivity monitoring for future business growth Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-12-28 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: The Future of Ethical Employee Management: Keeping Good Staff Engaged Meta Description: Discover how ethical EPM enhances employee wellness and performance, keeping good staff from leaving. Learn about the balance between surveillance and URL: https://financedigest.com/how-to-implement-ethical-employee-productivity-monitoring-for-future-business-growthhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/istock-1322852681-1736836531200-compressed.jpg) _By **Michael Cupps,** Senior Vice President, Marketing at ActiveOps, discusses the future of ethical employee management and how to keep good staff from going elsewhere._ Surprisingly enough, employment productivity monitoring (EPM) was not invented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, through the pandemic, there became an increased curiosity in the line of products designed to track employee activity throughout the working day. [Despite tried and tested ways](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-grow-your-business-despite-a-bad-credit-score.html "5 Ways to Grow Your Business despite a Bad Credit Score") of monitoring your staff, the concept of ethical EPM is relatively new. It stems from the fine line [employers must walk between employee](https://www.financedigest.com/why-more-companies-are-asking-new-employees-to-commence-employment-before-christmas.html "Why more companies are asking new employees to commence employment BEFORE Christmas.") surveillance (generally accepted as poor for employee engagement and morale) and EPM, which emphasises employee wellness, performance, and employee empowerment rather than corporate oversight, and spying. **The balance of building trust and** [employee burnout](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-manage-burnout-and-how-leaders-should-support-employee-wellbeing-tom-keya.html "How to manage burnout and how leaders should support employee wellbeing | Tom Keya") [Employee productivity monitoring](https://www.financedigest.com/employee-monitoring-solutions-market-to-reach-us-13335-mn-by-2026-tmr-study.html "Employee Monitoring Solutions Market to Reach US$ 13,335 Mn By 2026 – TMR Study") still appears to be a Draconian attempt to micromanage an entire workforce’s time and mouse clicks. That kind of intense monitoring for those not in the [know is a practice that does not end](https://www.financedigest.com/the-end-of-payments-as-we-know-it.html "The end of payments as we know it") well, for either party. In rare cases, [tech-savvy team members have been known to attempt to outsmart](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-outsmart-the-tech-savvy-criminal.html "How to outsmart the tech-savvy criminal") their managers by creating their own mouse-clicking programs. Yet, where there is an environment breeding an element of distrust, even on both sides, the [impact on business](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-qatarenergy-boss-says-world-cup-tension-will-not-impact-german-business.html "Exclusive-QatarEnergy boss says World Cup tension will not impact German business") can be hugely damaging. In the working environment, where [employees continue to work under immense stress](https://www.financedigest.com/4-reasons-your-finance-employees-are-showing-signs-of-stress.html "4 reasons your finance employees are showing signs of stress") with the ever-present threat of burnout around the corner, such inefficient practices, thankfully, are fast becoming outdated. In 2017, a study by Baylor University found that monitoring [software correlated with greater employee](https://www.financedigest.com/workplace-planning-software-cuts-costs-and-improves-employee-wellbeing-and-productivity-a-win-win-for-all.html "Workplace planning software cuts costs and improves employee wellbeing and productivity – a win-win for all") tension and less job satisfaction, indicated a higher workforce turnover. This situation has only been exacerbated by the stresses of [working remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/shoring-up-cyber-defences-in-the-remote-working-era.html "Shoring up cyber defences in the remote working era") during a pandemic. **Ethical employee monitoring** Ethical EPM, on the other hand, turns [employee behaviours into a measurable source of information about employee wellbeing](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-manage-employee-wellbeing-in-a-small-business.html "How to manage employee wellbeing in a small business"). It shows employees, managers, and the [organisation how individuals spend](https://www.financedigest.com/how-giving-insights-into-card-spend-can-help-organisations-to-manage-their-business.html "How giving insights into card spend can help organisations to manage their business") their screen time and how productive they’ve been. That means that they can adapt what isn’t working to be more intentional, and not so they can punish those who aren’t working. It’s hard to [understand your performance because the measure of what good looks like can be so subjective,” says](https://www.financedigest.com/over-half-of-financial-smbs-say-they-dont-have-time-to-understand-cybersecurity.html "Over half of Financial SMBs say they don’t have time to understand cybersecurity") Richard Jeffery. EPM software allows an [employee to assign real metrics to what a good day](https://www.financedigest.com/why-your-employees-need-a-mental-health-day.html "Why Your Employees Need A ‘Mental Health Day’") looks like, and on the other hand, what a bad one looks like too. It is empowering to the employee because it gives them vital information about how they use their time. Rather, in the same way, a fitness app on a smartwatch gives [back your control over your health](https://www.financedigest.com/occupational-health-and-safety-must-be-brought-back-to-the-forefront-of-esg.html "Occupational Health and Safety must be brought back to the forefront of ESG") and fitness. Research has found that a great majority of employees don’t mind being observed once they understand the monitoring is in place for their own use to help them stay on course, keep a tab on their [working hours](https://www.financedigest.com/madrid-street-sweepers-death-prompts-curbs-on-heatwave-working-hours.html "Madrid street-sweeper’s death prompts curbs on heatwave working hours"), and gain more autonomy about when and where they choose to work. **Capturing the correct** [data for the right reasons](https://www.financedigest.com/three-reasons-finance-professionals-need-get-grips-big-data.html "Three reasons why finance professionals need to get to grips with big data") Ethical employee productivity monitoring can show managers both sides of the spectrum of employee productivity, giving team [leaders a 360-degree view of the work being produced by how employees](https://www.financedigest.com/3-impactful-ways-that-leaders-can-contribute-to-the-independent-development-of-their-employees.html "3 Impactful Ways that Leaders Can Contribute to the Independent Development of Their Employees") are doing. It goes beyond the idea that high productivity should be logging in seven days a week for 12 hours a day. It’s not good for the [business and even less so for the employee](https://www.financedigest.com/why-investing-in-employee-health-can-be-good-for-business.html "Why investing in employee health can be good for business"). So, what is good data? Analytics that flag up potential [employee burnout](https://www.financedigest.com/protecting-the-finance-team-from-burnout-to-drive-employee-retention.html "Protecting the finance team from burnout to drive employee retention") is one, which can be done in many ways. It might be as simple as evaluating an employee’s workload to ensure they’re being assigned tasks they’re trained and qualified to do. Where the data is wrong or misleading, the result can have an adverse effect. For example, an organisation might be preparing to place an employee on a [performance improvement](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-use-momentum-analytics-software-to-improve-portfolio-performance.html "How to use momentum analytics software to improve portfolio performance") plan (PIP) for low productivity. But using an EPM provider, they were able to see that the employee wasn’t slacking off or performing below their ability — they were simply spending so much [time in the training modules learning](https://www.financedigest.com/make-time-to-reshape-the-finance-function-with-automation-and-machine-learning.html "Make time to reshape the finance function with automation and machine learning") how to do new tasks, thus taking them away from other responsibilities. Thanks to this insight, the employee’s manager could intervene, adjust the employee’s tasks, and [save the relationship, save the employee’s morale and even avoid](https://www.financedigest.com/selling-advice-five-expert-tips-on-how-to-avoid-gazundering-when-selling-your-home-to-save-you-money.html "Selling advice: Five expert tips on how to avoid gazundering when selling your home to save you money") a resignation. Overall, how an organisation uses [time is critical information for operations and not just for employee wellbeing](https://www.financedigest.com/the-pandemic-means-that-its-time-to-double-down-on-our-commitment-wellbeing-and-employee-engagement.html "The pandemic means that it’s time to double down on our commitment wellbeing and employee engagement"). It informs so many things, primarily when the company’s pace is driven by variability of what’s coming in the door. When employees and [team leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/how-finance-leaders-can-equip-their-team-to-tackle-change.html "How Finance Leaders Can Equip Their Team to Tackle Change") are better informed about their workloads and how they structure their day, they can balance resources. This, in turn, maintains [productivity no matter what’s coming in — which is essential in creating](https://www.financedigest.com/4-tips-for-creating-a-calm-workspace-to-boost-productivity.html "4 tips for creating a calm workspace to boost productivity") company-wide balance and maintaining company health. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---