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   85% of UK employers admit to spying on their employees  and workers aren't   
   happy   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:14:12 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   ExpressVPN survey unveils a striking divide between employers' and employees'   
   attitudes to remote work monitoring. Here's all you need to know.   
      
   FULL STORY   
   ======================================================================   
      
   More than 8 companies out of every 10 have admitted to actively spying on   
   their employees in the UK. Yet, over half of British workers said they would   
   be ready to quit their jobs if subjected to workplace surveillance.    
      
   These are the tensions rising across the UK workspace revealed by the latest   
   research conducted by ExpressVPN.   
      
   "These findings highlight an urgent need for greater transparency and trust    
   in the workplace," said Lauren Hendry Parsons, Privacy Advocate at    
   ExpressVPN.   
      
   The boom of bossware tools    
      
   While we're all accustomed to physical surveillance in the workplace  think   
   about all the security cameras or your personal badge  remote work   
   surveillance isn't as visible. Yet, as remote working gets more widespread,   
   bosses are finding new ways to monitor their employees.    
      
   Known as bossware (portmanteau of boss and spyware ), it refers to software   
   installed on workers' devices to monitor their activities. This may include   
   the websites they visit, the apps they use, keystrokes , and even screen   
   monitoring to gauge performance and productivity levels.    
      
   The team of privacy experts interviewed 1,000 employees and 1,000 employers   
   all across the country to discover their attitudes toward this rising trend,   
   unveiling a clear discrepancy between British bosses and employees.    
      
   As mentioned earlier, 85% of employers in the UK admitted to using some form   
   of online monitoring. Not only that, nearly three-quarters of UK bosses (72%)   
   said they were more comfortable with in-person work as it requires less   
   surveillance.   
      
   On the other hand, British workers have expressed concerns about workplace   
   surveillance, with the vast majority (79%) arguing that the government should   
   better regulate the use of bossware technologies.    
      
   Almost half of the respondents (42%) believe online communications    
   monitoring, such as emails, chats, and video calls, to be unethical. Yet, 45%   
   of employees suspect that they've already been the object of workplace   
   monitoring.    
      
   Worryingly, even more Brits (46%) said that the prospect of their boss spying   
   on their online activities and communications has an impact on their stress   
   and anxiety levels. A few respondents (17%) would even be willing to take a   
   25% pay cut to avoid being monitored.    
      
   According to Parsons, employers must find a balance between enabling   
   productivity and respecting employee privacy, no matter where their employees   
   are working.    
      
   She said: "Over-surveillance can lead to a toxic work environment, increased   
   stress, lower productivity, and ultimately, higher turnover rates. Its   
   essential for organizations to adopt transparent and ethical monitoring   
   practices that prioritize the well-being of their employees."   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/85-percent-of-uk-employers-   
   admit-to-spying-on-their-employees-and-workers-arent-happy   
      
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