The Psychological Effects of Workplace Surveillance

Abstract

Day by day, workplace surveillance is increasing in popularity, being more used by companies and employers to increase the work ethic, efficiency, and productivity of their employees. Different methods are used for workplace surveillance like keystroke tracking, video monitoring, and productivity analytics. These methods are created for the sake of better and efficient work productivity, but this kind of approach can also affect employees’ mental well-being. My research investigates how workplace surveillance affects stress levels, job satisfaction, motivation, and trust in employers. Excessive monitoring may lead to increasing stress, anxiety, and decreased job satisfaction, which would result in a reduction of productivity and efficiency amongst employees. Also, constant monitoring may create low morale, decreasing creativity and mistrust between employers and employees. However, when there is a clear balance in surveillance, the productivity and efficiency levels between employees will increase. Employers must put full emphasis on how their surveillance methods impact on workers’ psychological health and overall performance. This study understands the importance of ethical surveillance strategies that protect both companies’ objectives, interests, and employee wellbeing.