Monitoring employees in the next decade

The first decade of the new millennium saw an increasing focus on the monitoring of employees. Over the next ten years this trend is likely to continue, but with increasingly sophisticated technological tools available, employers must not lose sight of the legal rules that limit what is permissible in this area.

While monitoring is more important to some businesses than others, the needs of an employer to consider the legality of their employees' activities, their efficiency at work, their health and safety, and the use and misuse of confidential information mean that most employers regard as necessary some form of monitoring. The key has always been a sensible and well-publicised monitoring policy.