The Pros and Cons of Surveilling Your Employees

Employees are your most trusted asset. They act as the face of the company to customers, complete integral tasks, and make everything run like clockwork. But not every worker is a stalwart worker. Some take company time to do personal tasks, while others do the bare minimum. As a result, many business owners contemplate surveilling their employees. However, this can come with consequences. Before you surveil your employees, consider these pros and cons to make the best decision for your business.

Pros of Surveilling Your Employees

On the surface, surveilling your employees may seem like a breach of trust. But as a business owner, you may not have the time to watch everything your employees do. Here are some of the benefits of employee monitoring.

More Productivity

When employees know they’re being monitored, their productivity increases. They can’t afford to slack off, do personal activities, or take unsanctioned breaks with a camera pointed at them. Paired with time-tracking and software monitoring programs, surveillance cameras ensure an honest day’s work out of your employees.

Cost Savings

According to studies, businesses lose around $50 billion due to employee theft and an additional $400 from time theft — when employees are present but not working. Though business monitoring systems come with hardware costs, installation fees, and monthly fees, the initial cost pales compared to what you might lose from unethical employees.

Protection Against Accidents

If you trust your employees, you may not feel the need to monitor them. But even the best employees occasionally make mistakes or have a lapse of foresight. If an employee forgets to lock the door, has an incident with a customer, or causes a fire, your camera allows you to take care of the situation or provide evidence to authorities.

Cons of Surveilling Your Employees

Surveilling your employees has several benefits, but it’s not the right choice for every business. Before you install cameras, know the risks and potential pitfalls.

Feelings of Resentment

Not every employee will love having a camera over their shoulder. They may see this as mistrust — and in extreme cases — you may lose an employee or two. To counter this sentiment, tell your employees about the monitoring system and that it’s for their protection and the protection of others. Loyal employees shouldn’t have anything to hide.

Privacy Concerns

When you constantly monitor your employees, you risk coming across personal information. Unfortunately, this is difficult to avoid. Cameras pick up every movement and action of your employees. And with the high resolution of modern cameras, this can cause privacy concerns.

Reassure your employees that the monitoring system is not a spying device; you should alleviate some of these concerns.

Choose a Reputable Business Security and Surveillance Company Either Way

Even if you have great employees, protecting them, your customers, and the rest of your assets is always paramount. Regardless of whether you decide to surveil your employees, choose us as your reputable business security company to install cameras. It’s one of the best choices to protect your business and deter potential crimes.  At Texas Surveillance, we’ve been serving commercial and industrial clients for multiple decades.  We’re happy to provide you with a complimentary assessment and detailed proposal.