In the fully developed “smart office,” the boss is always watching. Already, hundreds of companies have embedded sensors in workspaces, lamps, cubicles, and computers to track the activities of workers. One such company, The Boston Consulting Group, is even piloting a program where employees’ badges contain a microphone and location sensor to monitor how office layout impacts communication, according to Bloomberg.
To many, the idea that managers can measure the amount of time you spend at your desk or the minutes in-between conversations with colleagues feels overly invasive. But it’s all entirely legal. “Employers can do any kind of monitoring they want in the workplace that doesn’t involve the bathroom,” said Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, in an interview with Bloomberg. That is, as long as all the data collected is anonymized.