If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know • Hacker News Board

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#11

Post by JoeAltmaier » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:49 PM UTC

xr4ti wrote: post #5

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

Because economy exists to sustain and enrich the lives of humans, not the other way around.

Yet, capitalism and the free market. This is little different from a McDonalds shift manager watching over workers at the lunch rush.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#12

Post by JoeAltmaier » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:49 PM UTC

jkldsadfaf wrote: post #8

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

Because you're monitoring someone constantly. Imagine if your manager sat behind you breathing on your neck while you coded. He has a pack of tic-tacs so his breath is fine. He crushes the tic tacs with his teeth everytime he thinks you're not working

So many, many workers are monitored by human supervisors already. Not shown to be significantly different.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#13

Post by JoeAltmaier » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:50 PM UTC

ahoy wrote: post #10

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

I really hope you're not in a position of management.

Sure I've managed software crews, but programmers need down time. I'm sure these workers have breaks too.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#14

Post by minikites » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:51 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

What about people with physical or mental disabilities? Do they deserve to be fired because they're less efficient than an able-bodied worker?

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#15

Post by chris11 » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:51 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #7

Clubber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because people aren't robots. That's not how the brain works. People can't concentrate 100% for 8-12 hours a day every day consistently. >What if your supervisor could identify every time you paused to scratch or fidget, and for how long you took a bathroom break? I certainly wouldn't want to work under those conditions.

So the best workers will be people too. No worries; folks won't be judged or measured as robots. Not an issue.

I think you have more faith in companies than I do. Jobs can have a lot of unreasonable expectations, especially if it is a low wage position with high turnover. And Amazon already has a poor reputation for it's low skilled positions.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#16

Post by jdlyga » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:51 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #7

Clubber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because people aren't robots. That's not how the brain works. People can't concentrate 100% for 8-12 hours a day every day consistently. >What if your supervisor could identify every time you paused to scratch or fidget, and for how long you took a bathroom break? I certainly wouldn't want to work under those conditions.

So the best workers will be people too. No worries; folks won't be judged or measured as robots. Not an issue.

Management won't have trackers on their every movement. You can take anything out of context to make the best worker look terrible if you look hard enough with that much data.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#17

Post by usdghkasdghk » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:52 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

It's a great idea, but I believe they should use a collar with a name tag attached. That would make it easier for managers to identify people.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#18

Post by Clubber » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:52 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #7

Clubber wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because people aren't robots. That's not how the brain works. People can't concentrate 100% for 8-12 hours a day every day consistently. >What if your supervisor could identify every time you paused to scratch or fidget, and for how long you took a bathroom break? I certainly wouldn't want to work under those conditions.

So the best workers will be people too. No worries; folks won't be judged or measured as robots. Not an issue.

My point being even the best workers will need a moment now and then.

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#19

Post by JoeAltmaier » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:52 PM UTC

minikites wrote: post #14

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

What about people with physical or mental disabilities? Do they deserve to be fired because they're less efficient than an able-bodied worker?

Already these folks have a different metric for success. Why would that be different here?

Re: If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know

#20

Post by ballenf » Fri, Feb 02, 2018, 2:54 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #2

They call this dystopian, but I don't get it. Why keep a slacker around when you have limited slots for workers? Why not measure and retain good workers? Somebody please try a little to see beyond the linkbait title of the OP. Knee-jerk anti-the-man comments aren't very helpful in digging into why this is a good or bad idea.

None of the attacks on your position really answer your question, which I think is a reasonable one.

If I'm hiring someone to stack boxes, what's wrong with hiring and keeping the best box stackers? Why should I be limited in the non-discriminatory tools I use to measure such performance?

The wristband isn't monitoring an employee's attitude or beliefs.

If anything, the tool would make racism or favoritism generally less prevalent. I'd say it's the managers who are affected most by this, not the workers.