How Companies Use Technology to Track Workers
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 8:35 am
Monitoring employee performance is nothing new. New technologies are helping companies monitor workers in unfamiliar, invasive ways. Are we really being monitored? And are we willing to share our most personal data?
To follow is impossible to pardon
For seven years as a professional truck driver, 25-year-old Trevor let common sense guide his actions. But one night last November, he "delegated" to a device his employer had installed in his truck. And it almost ended in tragedy.
Trevor was driving through a small town, following the posted speed limit. When he reached a turn, he knew he should slow down, but the electronic logging device (ELD) in his truck was ticking. If he lost time, he would have to spend the night in a truck stop.
Within seconds, his truck had skidded off the road. The bed was iceland number data badly dented, and the lumber he was hauling was scattered across the highway like popsicle sticks. Miraculously, Trevor escaped with only a few bruises.
"I was five minutes short of time and I was trying to make up for it so I could see my family sooner. And it almost cost me my life," he said.
Trevor had been away for a week and wanted to spend the night at home before heading back out on the road the next morning. Racing against the clock is common for truck drivers, but every minute counts. Since 2017, U.S. long-haul drivers have been required to be monitored by ELDs, which track their location and speed to help them schedule sleep and driving.
“If I wanted to be monitored every step of the way, I would get a clerical job,” says Trevor.
He’s right. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re the right fit for your job, worry no more: Employers now have tools to find out. Just as you can track how many steps you take each day and how much time you spend looking at your phone, your workplace can track your productivity, your daily routine, and analyze who you spend the most time with at work.
Many employees are not surprised to have their computer activity recorded by keyloggers and other software. However, physical tracking via wearables such as Fitbits, brainwave monitors, and even implanted microchips would seem disruptive. There is also an element of transforming a human workforce into a robotic one that threatens their livelihood.
To follow is impossible to pardon
For seven years as a professional truck driver, 25-year-old Trevor let common sense guide his actions. But one night last November, he "delegated" to a device his employer had installed in his truck. And it almost ended in tragedy.
Trevor was driving through a small town, following the posted speed limit. When he reached a turn, he knew he should slow down, but the electronic logging device (ELD) in his truck was ticking. If he lost time, he would have to spend the night in a truck stop.
Within seconds, his truck had skidded off the road. The bed was iceland number data badly dented, and the lumber he was hauling was scattered across the highway like popsicle sticks. Miraculously, Trevor escaped with only a few bruises.
"I was five minutes short of time and I was trying to make up for it so I could see my family sooner. And it almost cost me my life," he said.
Trevor had been away for a week and wanted to spend the night at home before heading back out on the road the next morning. Racing against the clock is common for truck drivers, but every minute counts. Since 2017, U.S. long-haul drivers have been required to be monitored by ELDs, which track their location and speed to help them schedule sleep and driving.
“If I wanted to be monitored every step of the way, I would get a clerical job,” says Trevor.
He’s right. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re the right fit for your job, worry no more: Employers now have tools to find out. Just as you can track how many steps you take each day and how much time you spend looking at your phone, your workplace can track your productivity, your daily routine, and analyze who you spend the most time with at work.
Many employees are not surprised to have their computer activity recorded by keyloggers and other software. However, physical tracking via wearables such as Fitbits, brainwave monitors, and even implanted microchips would seem disruptive. There is also an element of transforming a human workforce into a robotic one that threatens their livelihood.