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Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

economist.com

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Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#11

Post by aoms »

emptyparadise wrote: post #4

Feels like every damn thing that happens gets used as a pretext to enable more and more surveillance. Will we need job boards specifically for jobs that don't do surveillance too? >Last year Fujitsu, a Japanese technology group, unveiled AI software which promises to gauge employees’ concentration based on their facial expression. Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work, then we'll…

Alternatively you could just treat your employees well and they will want to perform for you.

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#12

Post by emptyparadise »

aoms wrote: post #11
emptyparadise wrote: post #4

Feels like every damn thing that happens gets used as a pretext to enable more and more surveillance. Will we need job boards specifically for jobs that don't do surveillance too? >Last year Fujitsu, a Japanese technology group, unveiled AI software which promises to gauge employees’ concentration based on their facial expression. Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work, then we'll…

Alternatively you could just treat your employees well and they will want to perform for you.

Somehow that's the last thing anyone ever wants to try.

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#13

Post by aoms »

formerkrogemp wrote: post #9
emptyparadise wrote: post #4

Feels like every damn thing that happens gets used as a pretext to enable more and more surveillance. Will we need job boards specifically for jobs that don't do surveillance too? >Last year Fujitsu, a Japanese technology group, unveiled AI software which promises to gauge employees’ concentration based on their facial expression. Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work, then we'll…

Nah, in retail, we used to have this software known as "secret shoppers." If they didn't see someone smiling, the store or department would be docked points on its evaluation, and you'd be hearing about it from your boss and boss's boss. Now all of us WFH minions below the lowly programmers will be subject to a smiling rictus as our cameras, microphones, and keyloggers determine productivity scores, work morale, and…

Another reason too keep the COVID masks on for longer

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#17

Post by BlargMcLarg »

emptyparadise wrote: post #12
aoms wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alternatively you could just treat your employees well and they will want to perform for you.

Somehow that's the last thing anyone ever wants to try.

Even better is the hypocrisy.

"We value your autonomy! We know studies say happy, autonomous workers perform better!"

Proceeds to stifle autonomy by invading your privacy in whatever way is legal or difficult to prove illegal.

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#18

Post by hutzlibu »

SethMurphy wrote: post #8

Don't forget the home. With the ubiquity of security cameras privacy is eroding even in private. I am struggling now with properly placing cameras in an apartment and balancing safety, security, and privacy in a family environment.

Why do you want to place cameras in your apartment in the first place?

Maybe one camera for the entrance, if you have reasons to be paranoid (I was thinking about it for myself, because of weird landlord with second keys), but why more cameras?

edit: one further reason for myself I remembered, watching the small kids from the smartphone, while going out for some minutes. But in the end I never set it up

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#19

Post by ddingus »

aoms wrote: post #11
emptyparadise wrote: post #4

Feels like every damn thing that happens gets used as a pretext to enable more and more surveillance. Will we need job boards specifically for jobs that don't do surveillance too? >Last year Fujitsu, a Japanese technology group, unveiled AI software which promises to gauge employees’ concentration based on their facial expression. Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work, then we'll…

Alternatively you could just treat your employees well and they will want to perform for you.

Has worked for me. I expect that to continue.

Consideration due is consideration given.

Put another way: people care exactly as much as they are cared about.

Re: Welcome to the era of the hyper-surveilled office

#20

Post by dspillett »

emptyparadise wrote: post #4

Feels like every damn thing that happens gets used as a pretext to enable more and more surveillance. Will we need job boards specifically for jobs that don't do surveillance too? >Last year Fujitsu, a Japanese technology group, unveiled AI software which promises to gauge employees’ concentration based on their facial expression. Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work, then we'll…

> Just need software that punishes employees who aren't happy enough at work

Automating the good old “floggings will continue until staff morale improves”.

Though given a choice between that and the utterly cringy gamification¹ that some managers² seem to think doesn't make us want to high-five them in the face with a chair, I know which I'd hate least.

[1] which thankfully seems to be going out of fashion, but it'll be back again soon with a slightly different mask

[2] or “team togetherness and efficiency encouragers” or other fanciful titles they might have

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