5 negative effects of constant workplace surveillance

Keeping an eye on any person all day will not only creep them out but also make them doubt themselves and hamper their privacy.

Workplace surveillance has gained a lot of momentum recently. However, every coin has two sides. Excessive surveillance at the workplace can result in the degradation of employee’s mental health.

Many surveys have claimed that surveillance harms employees’ mental well-being like it increases stress, hamper the unique working scheme, privacy issues, and more.

And if the employee doesn’t enjoy working, then productivity is automatically hampered. Here listed are a few negative impacts of productivity surveillance.

1. Trust is important
Often employees may feel that the company managers don’t trust them or their claims, and that has been the primary reason for surveillance. The thought of constantly being watched may create a feeling of lack of trust in employee’s minds.

2. Privacy invasion
Every employee requires a personal space and settings to work efficiently. If a company monitors the daily product and employee’s behaviour, they will feel their privacy is sacrificed. For instance, it is not good to track one’s computer history records during working hours if the deadline is met.

3. Impacts employee’s morale
If the employee feels that his little chat with the colleague will land him in trouble because of the constant surveillance, he might feel trapped. If someone feels even a little interaction after a long meeting or working tirelessly will get their job in trouble, they will feel demotivated and won’t enjoy working.

4. Retention is reduced
Through employee productivity surveillance, the manager may compare one to another based on their daily performance. This will lead to stress and lower job satisfaction. The employee may feel undervalued and look for a job somewhere else.

5. Hampers the creativity
Due to constant monitoring of their working habits or their daily productivity, employees may start working in a set pattern. They will lack freedom and control over their work. Employees will just strictly follow the prototype without putting their unique thoughts, leading to a tedious job.