Will Your Employer Start Checking Your Pulse At Work?
from the buhdump,-buhdump dept
Over the years, several companies have experimented with high-tech ways of closely monitoring the actions of their employees, but it's never been clear that this does much good. In addition to the direct cost of whatever technology is used, it can also breed resentment among employees who aren't crazy about the fact that they're always being monitored. One company is hoping to find a market for a system that will constantly measure the heart rates of all of a company's employees. The idea is that if someone's heart rate spikes dramatically, it's a sign that something serious is occurring. Perhaps they're being robbed, or maybe they're committing a crime themselves. The company believes its primary customers will be places like casinos and banks, which have very high security needs and a number of customer-facing employees. Again, though, this technology seems certain to make employees uncomfortable, since nobody will be eager to wear a bracelet constantly measuring their pulse. It also seems likely that the system will be plagued by false alerts. Heart rates can jump around for a number of reasons, and it will be a waste of resources if security teams spring into action every time an employee gets excited.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Heart Spikes
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
HR?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gattaca
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Gattaca
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This Assumes One Has A Heart To Monitor
Guess that's why they make good management material.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
That girl
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
We are already getting inquiries about this
The idea holds promise, as as the technology is developed, it will be more efficient and productive
(remember the very early computers)
It will essentially monitor many bodily functions and factor in what is normal for that person.
Is a sudden, sharp deviation occurs that is very much out of the norm - Security guards may be alerted or Security Cameras may send remote alert signals to the premises watchers
This would be advantagous for bank tellers or cashiers of merchandise of a high value etc.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: We are already getting inquiries about this
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: We are already getting inquiries about this
Seriously -- if my employer made this crap a condition of employment, I will tell them to go "Cheney" themselves.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Controlled Breathing
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Fortunately, the company I work for is not like this. At most, they block a lot of non-work-related websites while also logging anything that goes in or out of the firewall, and enforce disciplinary measures if an employee is wasting their time and not getting work done on a regular basis. Our domain administrators are not even able to access users' Exchange mailboxes without due cause, due to privacy restrictions enforced by our auditors.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: That Girl
Sometimes, I wish women would understand that their beauty can be effective in causing other people happiness, and that they can do it without looking like a slut if that really bothers them.
Though, it appears like the new generation of girls these days has no problem looking skanky.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No more backroom fun
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This, my child...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
heart rate
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gattaca
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This will be fun
ACKKKKKK!!!!! The sky is falling!!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
coitus ba-buhdump-us
If my company sponsored "gratification-benefits," I'd gladly let them monitor my "vitals"...
"A happy worker is a productive worker."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Heart rate monitors
Strikes me that one could create a transmitter that would 'show a spike' in one area, cause the security staff/attention to be drawn to one location while others in another location do whatever they are looking to do.
Or just the 'fun' of knowing the apes in the control room would be in a panic.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Drafting Table
[ link to this | view in chronology ]