Data watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has released guidance to employers who want to monitor their employees in the office or remotely. Legal experts have told Tech Monitor that the guidelines reflect the need to balance the desire to track the output of staff with breaching employee privacy…

Its research shows that 19% of people believe they have been monitored by an employer, with 70% saying they would find it “intrusive” if their employers monitored them. Some workers told the ICO they would be put off working for a company that monitored them, with less than one in five respondents saying they would feel comfortable taking a new job if they knew they would be under surveillance…

Emily Keaney, deputy commissioner for regulatory policy at the ICO, commented that the organisation’s research shows how concerned workers are about their privacy at home when it comes to employee monitoring.

“As the data protection regulator, we want to remind organisations that business interests must never be prioritised over the privacy of their workers,” she said. “Transparency and fairness are key to building trust and it is crucial that organisations get this right from the start to create a positive environment where workers feel comfortable and respected.”…