Advantages and Disadvantages of Workplace Monitoring

“When I know that someone is sneaking on my private life, it sucks me”, said Dipika Hada, a senior accountant of Standard Charted Bank, Hetauda Branch. A few months ago the managing director of the bank started snooping every staffs’ computers and drawers. He said that most of his staff hangs on Facebook, twitter neglecting the work of their customers. Hence, there are conflicting views on the issue. Workplace monitoring has both merits and demerits for the staff, organization or, the working environment.

Today, there is high competition in every sector. Industries, organizations and institutions are facing hard time due to the race of competition. The workers of the organization are hired paying for their time and skill. So, they expect that every staff must be truthful towards the job. However, many of them indulge in internet surfing or online dating neglecting their job. They spend hours on Facebook, or Skype chatting with their virtual friends. As a result, the company goes down. It can be frustrating to both; the owner and the worker. If the company goes down, the workers of the company may not get their salary in time. Sometimes, the owner is compelled to shut down the organization. So, it is better to check such wastages of companies’ time by using technologies of workplace monitoring. It discourages the workers from wasting companies’ valuable time. The workers also become responsible and accountable to their job. Instead of hanging on phone or Facebook, they give whole time to the company. They focus on the needs of the costumers. The working environment becomes fair and transparent. However, there are also people who argue against of workplace monitoring.

“When I was talking with my girlfriend, my boss was listening to us at his office. It is a real hell,” said Public Relation Officer of Hetauda School of Management, Ram Pandit Khanal. According to him it’s his private affair and spying on him is a crime. When the workers feel imprisoned at the work places, they can’t work with enthusiasm. The workplace becomes an asshole. Their work becomes monotonous. Today, most of the people have virtual relationships. Many of them have virtual boy friends, or girlfriends and they want to chat at least half an hour with them. It may recharge them and, as a result, they can work with interest. If their private matter becomes public, it may hurt their self-dignity. Sometimes, it can be a threat to their career. “I don’t want to share my private matter with other staff. Their perspective towards me may change and it weakens our friendship”, says Binita Chaulagain, a senior marketing officer of Ocean Enterprises, Hetauda. Life is personal and the privacy of the life must be preserved. Sometimes disclosing the secrets may bring disaster in life. There many people who have committed suicide after their privacy being disclosed. It is just like Pandora’s Box full of evils and misfortunes. “When the campus first put cc cameras in the classrooms, I felt so nervous and my performance was a redundant” said Pradeep Thapa, a lecturer of Hetauda School of Management. “Now I am used to”, he continued blinking his right eye. These statements show that spying on the private life is a bull shit.

In my view, observing the work place activities can have more merits than demerits. I think, when we use our private rights, we shouldn’t violet social norms and values. Work place has its rules and working conditions. Once we agree to follow these rules, we must be honest toward it. When we have urgency, we can get the permission form the boss to telephone, or to send message. Hanging on Facebook, sometimes make us forget our responsibility. Besides, we have our own time at home to chat, or phone our friends. Instead of having virtual date in the office hour, we can take a leave and go for real dating with our girlfriend. In the age of capitalism, every second is money and it’s valued more than anything that sucks the company. However, secret videotaping and blackmailing the workers is a serious crime. It must be controlled. Every worker should know that they are being observed by the boss. It makes them aware and help them to save their face.

To sum up, spying on the workers in their work places may have mixed comments. It has both advantages and disadvantages to the stake holders. There are some areas where monitoring is inevitable for the benefit of the company. But, sometimes such secret monitoring may harasses workers and affects their self.