One-Third Of UK Companies Monitor Staff Using ‘Bossware’

A third of UK employers use “bossware” to monitor employee activity.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) shared its report findings with The Guardian, showing how the use of“bossware” technology is monitoring one-third of UK employers, tracking their activities including emails, web browsing, and screen usage.

Private companies are the most likely to deploy in-work surveillance, with one in seven employees being monitored via screen recording.

The CMI findings, based on responses from hundreds of UK managers, suggest that computerized work monitoring is on the rise. The Guardian reports that in 2023, less than a fifth of workers thought they were being watched, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

About a third of managers report monitoring online activity on company devices, though many admit they are unsure of the exact tracking measures in place. Many firms argue monitoring protects sensitive information and detects dips in productivity. But the trend has caused unease among staff and managers alike.

The Guardian reports that an insurance company manager, who works with AI performance tracking systems, expressed concern: “Do they not trust their employees to do their jobs and are they looking to replace them with AI?”

Employee monitoring can include tracking idle time, app usage, keystrokes, screenshots, and use of unapproved AI or social media. The ICO warned that bosses “must make their employees aware of the nature, extent and reasons for monitoring” and said excessive oversight “can undermine people’s privacy, especially if they are working from home,” as reported by The Guardian.

Petra Wilton, CMI director of policy, said: “If it is being used, it is incredibly important employers are open, otherwise that’s going to cause significant problems in terms of data privacy and protection,” reported The Guardian.

The workplace surveillance system at PwC monitors employee attendance through its “traffic light” system, while HSBC has announced plans to install 1,754 security cameras and biometric readers, as reported by The Guardian.

The survey showed that 53% of managers backed monitoring on company devices, yet 42% opposed it, citing trust issues, misuse of devices, and unfair performance evaluations.