Common Myths About Employee Monitoring Software

Employee monitoring is an excellent approach to protect your company’s data while also ensuring compliance, responsibility, and productivity among your employees.

According to 2021 Top10VPN research, the demand for employee monitoring software has grown by 54% after the sudden breakout of corona virus. Moreover, an analysis of 239 large corporations by Gartner in 2018 found that 50% track employee biometric data, check employee emails, and monitor employees’ social media interactions.

In recent years, more and more businesses have been using computer tracking software to keep tabs on their employees’ online activity. However, the employees dislike using employee tracking software even though it’s more beneficial for them. Employees don’t like using these types of software since it bothers them.

These tools will help analyse how the work is going and help plan for any required changes. Here in this article, some of the common myths about employee monitoring software are listed which will help you to understand and know more about these myths and their actual facts.

What Is Employee Monitoring? 

Employee Monitoring means observing the employees’ work and action in the workplace and reporting on their performance.

The main goal of employee monitoring is to stop any kind of misconduct that can happen in the workplace before it starts. Also, it helps to analyze if any task efforts fail and stop them before it hampers the company.

The employee monitoring tools will help employers to know how their employees work. Monitoring employees’ computer usage can assist businesses in detecting security concerns, preventing data breaches, and increasing productivity. 

Why Is Employee Monitoring Necessary?

In a study, International Data Corporation (IDC) found that “30 to 40 percent of employees use the internet for non-work purposes.” 

The study also found that 21 to 31% of employees actively engage in unethical behavior, including disclosing trade secrets or intellectual property to third parties and endangering many important projects and assets. 

Based on estimates, goldbricking causes a productivity loss of up to 40% yearly in the US.

There are also other factors like:

• It enhances employee productivity.
• Maintains good relationships between employees and employers.
• Restricts Employees from Violating Company’s Guidelines.
• Better resource management as the manual survey is not required.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Choosing Employee Monitoring Software

When choosing an Employee Monitoring Software, you want to choose the best-featuring application. Some basic features that you want in your employee monitoring software to include are:

• Webpage monitoring: It allows for monitoring the websites an employee visits. Data is usually recorded when the webpage is accessed.

• Application Monitoring: It allows to monitor which application the employee is using: productive or unproductive.

• Live Chat Monitoring: This allows to monitor the messages and texts on every communication platform. Also, you can monitor emails too.

• Keystrokes Logging: In keystroke logging, each keystroke a user presses during a session is recorded across all programs.

• Screenshots: Most Common feature that every employee monitoring software is taking screenshots of the employee desktop automatically. Some software might also provide the feature of seeing the live screen of the employee’s desktop.

• Security: The system should be able to keep sensitive data safe from hackers and computer viruses.

12 Most Common Myths About Employee Tracking Software

Indeed, many employees fear that companies are questioning their commitment as a result of this software. Keeping these considerations in mind, today, we will discuss twelve major myths concerning employee monitoring software.

1. Employee Monitoring Software Hampers Employees’ Privacy

It is not acceptable to monitor employees for the purpose of spying on them or violating their privacy. There is a general belief that using employee tracking software violates their privacy. However, this program is not intended to breach the privacy of users.

Myth: Employees think that their personal data, activities will be tracked down and it invades their privacy. Many questions can be assured in their productivity. They also may think that its only they get monitored rather than others.

Fact: Employers don’t engage in unethical behaviour or acquire sensitive information about their workers via computer tracking software. These tools and the data insights they offer, when used in a transparent and equitable manner, improve both company and employee performance.

If you intend to use this software, talk to your staff about how you made your choice and how you will keep their privacy while monitoring their behavior. This can be done informally through a friendly email or conversation or formally through the creation of an official policy.

Accountability creates trustworthiness, which is essential for addressing any privacy worries. Having this discussion will make your staff feel more at ease about being watched at work.

2. You Don’t Trust Your Employees.

Myths: Employees who use time-tracking software may feel that their employer does not trust their manual inputs, according to the opposing argument. They think since their bosses don’t trust them, they use time tracking technology to control them. However, companies use time monitoring to better understand workflow, keep track of money, and stay organised rather than to manage workers.

Facts: The adoption of time-tracking software decreases the pressure of trust placed on both employees and employers since the software is able, to tell the truth. Employers may maintain precise and orderly timestamps for payroll by recording when employees clock in for the day, clock out for lunch, and clock out at the end of the day using straightforward employee clock software.

Learn About: Tips For Establishing Effective Communication In Remote Team💻💬🗣️

3. Only Employers Gets Benefit From Employee Monitoring Software

Myth: Employees might think that employers will only have the benefits of monitoring software and they will not. These widespread misconceptions regarding employee time monitoring shouldn’t deter your company from implementing the technology. Both businesses and employees may profit greatly from time monitoring software.

Fact: Time monitoring software, for instance, will record if a worker has been clocking in overtime every week.  Due to an excessive workload that prevents them from finishing their task during normal business hours, this employee may be working extra, alerting the employer that a change is necessary. This lessens the employee’s heavy tasks and enables them to reestablish a healthy work-life balance.

4. Employee Monitoring Is Only For Remote Employees

Myths: Some individuals believe that computer monitoring software is only useful for keeping tabs on on-site employees’ online behaviour. This is inaccurate, though. Regardless of whether an employee is working locally or remotely, tracking software may be used to keep an eye on their online behaviour.

Fact: Many companies purchase this software expressly to monitor the productivity of their remote employees. There are many distractions at home for remote employees, and they must be allowed to do their tasks without direct supervision.

Employers may keep an eye on their workers’ online behaviour while they become used to working remotely to make sure the change in environment hasn’t had an impact on their productivity.

Also Read: Challenges With Solutions for Managing Remote Employees😰😅

5. Employee Monitoring Will Hurt Morale

Myth: Being constantly observed by their managers leads to resentment and a lack of trust between employers and employees. Constantly being watched might make employees feel discomfort and affect their productivity.

Fact: When used properly, employee monitoring software has the ability to increase worker and employee engagement. Top managers can assess what is not truly functioning with the transparency and relevance of customer behaviours. Utilizing performance measurements and approaches, pipeline bottlenecks may be promptly located and eliminated in order to optimise cumbersome and ineffective processes.

Even task availability, including overworked and unproductive staff, is known to directors. This enables the distribution of tasks and projects among coworkers fairly and the quick appropriate action.

Along with promoting better surroundings and increasing staff retention, it may actually help to reduce adverse effects like burnout and internal disputes.

6. Employee Monitoring Leads To Work More

Myth: The concept of utilizing time monitoring software to keep an eye on your staff could initially seem unpleasant. It conjures up a terrible picture in the mind of a place of work where micromanagers watch every keystroke and workers are frightened to take a break or use the restroom.

Fact: In practice, time monitoring software isn’t used in this way. Employees aren’t supposed to be punished or scared into working more as a result of it. It does exactly what it insists on doing: It tracks time. Employees may just press a button to punch in and out rather than fill out a timesheet.

Monitoring some actions might possibly lighten the strain for employees. Managers may better allot time and distribute work among team members by knowing more precisely how long certain tasks take to accomplish. Both the company and the employee ultimately gain from this.

Maintaining good and open workplace communication is the greatest method to allay employees’ worries about time monitoring software. Describe the necessity of time monitoring and how it may benefit everyone. No one should be concerned since everything is transparent and clear.

7. Employee Monitoring Is illegal

Myth: Because restrictions differ from nation to country, what employers can monitor depends on where the firm and its employees are based. For instance, in certain nations, using monitoring software by employers is only permitted if they notify the employees beforehand, yet in other nations, “stealth” monitoring is permitted (under certain conditions).

Fact: However, most nations generally allow employee surveillance to some degree and under specific conditions. Employee monitoring is typically covered by more general regulations that include data collecting, processing, and protection rather than laws that are especially geared toward it.

Employers should think about using monitoring software even if a nation’s laws might not directly include it in the framework of privacy-related rules and regulations.

8. Employee Tracking Software Is Expensive

Myth: For some businesses, investing in staff training might be scary. They might think what if it does not work out as per plan. However, once staff gets comfortable with the program, they will be allowed to use it for free for the remainder of their lives.

Fact: HR Tech solutions may appear to be expensive, but they are not. You can pay a monthly subscription to subscribe to cloud-based programs that upload and store data on the internet.HR Management software developers offer many subscription choices based on employee headcount, allowing small and large companies to select the best solution for their needs.

By utilizing HR management software, they will boost efficiency and save time. As a consequence, the HR product will soon pay for itself in the long run.

9. Time Tracking Software Don’t Improve Productivity

Myth: You might ask if time trackers can actually make a difference in the office since they are so basic. True, time trackers will not let you do the same amount of work in a miraculously short period of time. However, they will provide you with a comprehensive picture of how much time your staff normally spend on each activity.

Fact: As a result, you’ll be able to prioritize jobs based on their urgency and duration. Monitoring employee activity will also assist you in more equitably delegating jobs across your firm, ensuring everyone has a manageable workload and eventually boosting both the pace and quality of the work.

So, while time trackers will not make your staff feel overworked, they will enable them to generate more work to a higher level. It summarizes “work smarter, not harder.”

Read more: Best Ways To Prevent Time Theft⌚⌚

10. Employees Can Trick The Software

Myth: Knowing they are being watched, employees believe they can trick the software into thinking they are working by accessing a work-related application or program. These employees assume that if they keep the work-related application or program open on their device, the software will reflect that they are productive. That, however, is not the case.

Fact: It is the fact that the software will collect data on which apps and programs are utilized and for how long. However, other information is captured, such as screenshots, so that employers may see exactly what their employees are looking at on their devices. Even if an individual is using a work-related application or software, screenshots will reveal to their employer what they are doing on their smartphone.

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11. Only Suspicious Employees Are Told To Use The Software

Myth: Employees might think that employee monitoring is used only by suspicious employees. Some employees can feel like they do their work properly so they don’t need to use such type of monitoring software. It may hamper the loyalty and trust between employers and employees.

Fact: Every employee is told to use the monitoring software. This not only opens the door to legal consequences for fair treatment but also deprives you of the ability to examine the productivity and operational compliance risks throughout your whole business.

Use staff monitoring tools to go on the attack. Again, openness is essential. While some companies use an employee surveillance program to “capture the bad actors,” we highly advise being open about it.

Not only does this serve to develop trust between management and employees, but it also makes employees less motivated to participate in dangerous activities in the first place.

13. Paper Timesheets Are Just As Good As Time Tracking Software

Myth: Employees might think that normal timesheets are good than time tracking software. In the paper timesheets, they can put the time as they want to so it makes them easy to skip the work sometimes. They can also say that time tracking software is expensive and it may show some errors in the work.

Fact: Timesheets used in the past are so antiquated! They rely on subjective or inaccurate human input. Additionally, timesheets don’t provide comprehensive data on how time is used. No information that might assist the team increase productivity, efficiency, or security has been supplied.

Don’t rely on unstable timesheets to accurately calculate your payroll. Rely on an automatic time monitoring system to verify the accuracy of time cards! Find out more about why outdated timesheets are ineffective today. 

Pros of Employee Monitoring Software

The obvious decision to use employee monitoring software brings enormous advantages to businesses of all sizes. Here are some of the advantages of employee monitoring:

1. Effective project management: Employee monitoring software helps you plan, schedule, organize, and prioritize project tasks.

2. Effective Time Tracking and Planning Resources Accordingly: It helps you to manage time, track time for certain tasks, and plan resources accordingly.

3. Streamlined and Effective Communication Channel: It helps to manage communication between the team members and maintain proper coordination.

4. Improved Team Performance: Managers will be able to get proper performance reports of the team. Also, they can help team members to improve their performance.

5. Cost-Effectiveness: While employee monitoring may involve some investment, it is likely to save your company money in the long run.

6. Increased Internal Security and Protection from Harassment: Monitoring your employees can help improve your cybersecurity and protect them against harassment.

Cons Of Employee Monitoring Software

1. Decreased productivity: Employees who are not confident their manager will respect their privacy will not be as likely to complete tasks promptly and instead will spend more time on each task.

2. Fear Amongst Employees: Employee monitoring software can also cause employees to be concerned about the consequences they will face if they make an error on the job.

3. Legal concerns: Because employee monitoring is state-dependent, its legality of it might be questionable at times.

Conclusion

Employee monitoring, like any other piece of technology, has advantages and disadvantages. However, it is quite easy to abuse it and turn it into a completely useless tool. 

As a result, the process of training your workforce for monitoring, purchasing the tracker, installing it, and acting on the information you obtain must be meticulously planned. Avoid frequent errors like adopting the program without informing your staff, nitpicking them for every second they spend on Facebook, and so forth.

You may contradict these misconceptions by properly planning and implementing Windows user monitoring software.

The best part is that you can use this program both in-office and remotely to monitor employees.