Tracking vs. Monitoring: What Leaders Must Know about Employee Oversight

Did you know that 94% of organizations use some form of employee tracking or monitoring? Yet, many struggle to distinguish between the two.

Work is different now, and companies need to pick: Should they track employee movements, monitor what they do on computers, or both?

The right choice impacts productivity, compliance, and workplace morale.

In this article, we'll explain the differences between tracking and watching workers. We'll also tell you what's good and not so good about each one. This will help you pick what works best for your workers.

Here you’ll find:

• Employee tracking technologies
• Different employee monitoring tools
• Difference between monitoring & tracking
• Use cases for tracking and monitoring
• Laws and policies for monitoring and tracking workers

Let's begin!

What is Employee Tracking?

Employee tracking is when companies use technology to follow where employees are, what they’re doing, and how long they work. This is not the same as monitoring, which looks at what people do on their computers.

Tracking is more about making sure employees are where they need to be and working the right amount of time. It helps companies work better and keep things running smoothly. It also helps hold employees accountable.

Core Components of Tracking Systems

Employee tracking tools usually have four main parts that help bosses keep an eye on their team:

• Hardware Devices: GPS trackers, RFID tags, and phone apps that workers can use.
• Software Platforms: Online dashboards that show where people go and what they do.
• Connectivity Solutions: Phone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth that send info fast and easy.
• Data Analytics: Cool reports about how workers move and work during the day.

These tracking systems work great in jobs where moving around is super important. For example, delivery drivers, doctors running between hospitals, and field technicians.

With these tools, companies can make sure workers are doing their best and staying safe while on the job.

Types of Tracking Technologies

1. GPS Tracking

Employee GPS tracking is like a digital map that shows where workers are right now. It uses satellites to pinpoint exactly where someone is working. Companies use this cool tech in delivery services, fieldwork, and moving stuff around.

A study by Verizon Connects found that businesses using GPS tracking save money and work smarter. They cut fuel costs by 9% and make workers 34% more productive.

What's So Great About GPS Tracking?

• Helps companies plan the best routes for workers.
• Keeps workers safe, especially when they're in tricky spots.
• Stops workers from taking long, sneaky breaks.

2. RFID: The Smart ID Badge Tracker

RFID is like a high-tech sticker that tracks workers using radio waves. These special tags go on employee badges or work gear.

Businesswire thinks RFID is going to be huge! The market will jump from $10.7 billion in 2021 to $17.4 billion by 2026.

How Does It Work?

• Employees pass through RFID-enabled entry points. This logs their movement.
• Readers catch the tags and log where people go.
• Some systems even use fingerprints or face scans to double-check.

3. BLE: Tracking People Indoors

Bluetooth trackers help companies see where workers are inside buildings. They work great in offices, hospitals, and warehouses.

Cool ways to use BLE for indoor tracking:

• See how people use office spaces.
• Keep track of workers and equipment in big warehouses.
• Help workers in stores stay where they should be.

4. Phone and Wi-Fi Tracking for Remote Workers

When GPS doesn't work, companies use phone networks and Wi-Fi to track workers. This is most useful when you are tracking remote workers or employees without GPS-enabled devices.

Advantages of GSM/Wi-Fi tracking:

• Saves the phone battery.
• Works inside buildings.
• Provides location data even when offline (data updates once the device reconnects).

What is Employee Monitoring?

When you work at a company, your employer might want to know what you're doing during work hours. They can check things like what websites you visit, what you type on your computer, and how much work you get done. Companies achieve this through the best employee monitoring software that provides comprehensive oversight of digital activities.

This is different from tracking where your location matters; it's more about what you do on your computer.

Harvard Business found that lots of businesses are doing this now. In fact, 60% of the big companies check what their workers do on computers.

Since many people work from home these days, managers want to make sure everyone is actually working and not just watching cat videos!

Digital Monitoring Tools Overview

Companies use different tools to check how their workers do their jobs and follow the rules. Remote employee monitoring has become increasingly important as workplaces evolve. These tools include:

• Tracking What You Do - The tools watch and save everything you type, which apps you use, and what's on your screen while you work.
• Checking Internet Use - They look at which websites you visit and how long you spend on them. They also see what you search for online.
• Taking Pictures of Your Screen - Time tracker with screenshots captures visual evidence of work activities to ensure productivity and compliance.
• Looking at Messages - Monitoring apps check work emails, chats, and phone calls to make sure everything's safe and follows the rules.
• Making Reports - The tools create reports that show how much work people get done and how they usually work.

Many places use these tools, especially banks, hospitals, and computer companies. They use them because they need to keep things safe and make sure work gets done the right way.

Key Monitoring Capabilities

Keystroke Monitoring Systems

When you type on your keyboard at work, some tools can record every key you press. This helps employers know:

• Productivity Levels: In complex workplace environments, measuring employee productivity becomes essential, while balancing productivity and efficiency ensures optimal resource utilization. Companies need both metrics to evaluate performance effectively.
• Security Risks: If you're doing anything that might not be safe, like typing passwords where you shouldn't. This keeps everyone's information safe.
• Work Patterns: How you work throughout the day. Your boss can see if there are better ways to do your job.

Screen Monitoring Solutions

There are also tools that let managers see what's on your computer screen. They feature:

• Live Screen Viewing: Watch your screen while you work.
• Random Screenshots: Take pictures of your screen randomly.
• Screen Recording: Save videos of everything you do on your computer so managers can watch them later.

Internet Usage Tracking

PwC shows workers spend about 2.5 hours each day on fun websites instead of working. This costs companies a lot of money because people aren't getting their work done.

That's why many companies keep track of what their workers do online. They want to help people focus on their tasks. Here's what they usually check:

• The apps employees go to during work - like Facebook, YouTube, or Netflix - to see if they're working or just having fun.
• How long workers spend on websites that aren't about work.
• Which websites are off-limits based on what the company says is okay and not okay.

Communication Monitoring Tools

Companies use special tools to check how people talk at work. These tools look at emails, chats, and phone calls to make sure everyone follows the rules.

Here's what these checking tools can do:

• Scan emails to find bad words about leaking secrets, being mean to others, or breaking company rules.
• Save messages from work chat apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams to check them later.
• Listen to phone calls, which helps managers know if employees in customer service and sales are doing a good job.

Main Differences: Employee Monitoring vs. Tracking

Tracking and watching what employees do at work are different things. They help companies in different ways and use different tools to collect information.

So, how are they different?

When you track employees, you look at things like when they come to work and what they do each day. You can see this information using ID cards and computer programs that count work hours.

On the flip side, when you watch employees, you can see everything they do on their computers. This includes what websites they visit and what files they work on. Companies use special software to do this.

Both tracking and watching help employers know if workers are doing their jobs well. But they work in different ways and tell you different things about how people work.

Primary Purpose and Application

Data Collection and Analysis

Where Tracking and Monitoring Meet: Application Scenarios

Companies track and watch what their workers do to help everyone work better. This happens in many different workplaces. Some workers are at home, some are out in the field, and others work in offices.

To keep everything running smoothly, companies use different tools to see how their workers are doing.

So, if you look around most workplaces today, you'll find different types of tools being used. These tools show managers what their teams are up to and help make sure everyone follows the rules.

Remote Workforce Management

Managing remote employees has become a critical skill in today's workplace. Understanding how to monitor employees working from home helps organizations maintain productivity while providing flexibility.

Companies need to keep track of their workers. They want to know where their employees are and how much work they're getting done.

Here's what businesses use:

GPS tracking helps bosses know if workers are at the right place during work hours. This is good for people who move around for their jobs.

Companies also use apps that show how long someone spends on their work. These apps can tell what someone is doing on their computer.

Employers can see work emails and chat messages too. This keeps everything safe and follows the rules.

They also look at how well people do their jobs by checking:

• How many tasks they finish.
• How fast they answer messages.
• How good they are at getting work done.

Field Service Operations

Field workers like delivery people, fix-it folks, and sales teams need tracking. And monitoring helps their managers check their work to see how well they're doing - not just where they are.

In-Office Environment

To keep track of people working in offices, companies implement attendance tracker systems for monitoring when workers come in and out, and how they use their workspace. They also make sure people are doing their work and following the rules.

To keep track of people working in offices, companies mainly watch when workers come in and out, and how they use their workspace. They also make sure people are doing their work and following the rules.

Here's what they track:

• Coming and Going: Workers use special cards or fingerprint scanners to check in and out. This tells the company when people are at work.
  
• Resource Allocation: Computer programs keep track of things like printers and laptops. This stops people from wasting supplies.
  
• Activity Monitoring: Companies can see what's on workers' screens and track their typing. This makes sure people are working and not playing games or watching videos.

What the Law Says about Monitoring vs. Tracking: Privacy and Compliance Considerations

Protecting employee data while maintaining necessary oversight has become crucial for modern businesses. Companies must balance monitoring needs with privacy rights.

That’s why, businesses need to know the rules about watching and tracking their workers. They need to follow the employee monitoring laws about this.

Regional Privacy Laws

Rules about watching employees at work are different depending on where you work. businesses need to know these rules and follow them.

Let me tell you about the main privacy rules:

Industry-Specific Regulations

Each type of business has its own rules about how they can collect and use information about their workers.

Here are some examples:

Healthcare

If you work at a hospital or doctor's office in the U.S., there's a law called HIPAA. This law tells companies how they need to keep track of health records on computers.

Finance

Banks and financial institutions have special groups (like the SEC and FINRA) that watch how they handle messages. These businesses need to keep information private and follow rules about saving records.

Transportation & Logistics

Companies that have truck drivers can use GPS to see where their trucks are. But they need to follow worker privacy rules and be fair about how they do this.

Tracking or Monitoring: Which One Works for You?

As you can see, keeping track of where workers are is different from checking what they do on their computers. You'll need to pick what works best for your company and how your team likes to work.

When you use these tools in a good way, workers get more done and your company stays safer. Your workers will also trust you more.

The best thing to do is to tell workers what you're doing and find a good balance.