What CIOs must know about bossware strategy

When COVID-19 hit, remote work was a life saver. With the click of a mouse organizations were back in business. Employees ditched their commute times, set up home offices and went to work. It seemed to be the perfect solution, but a few years later the honeymoon was over. Citing a need to track productivity, many organizations implemented surveillance tools, often called bossware. Business leaders say the technology allows them to monitor productivity and identify specific areas for improvement through targeted training. Employees, on the other hand, say such scrutiny elevates anxiety levels and undermines morale. Workplace surveillance is not new. Camera or facial recognition devices are commonplace in restricted areas to ensure that only authorized personnel enter. Many offices also use security cameras to enhance workplace safety and monitor efficiency. But newer technologies, from monitoring software to biometric devices, enable employers to track keystrokes, location and mouse movement, as well as monitor texts, screenshots and browser history. As hybrid and remote work models become more commonplace, AI tools are increasingly used to track employee productivity, monitor communications and secure company data. An estimated 74 percent of organizations now report using bossware – from audio recording to keystroke counting – to monitor their employees. More than half of those organizations are using AI-powered analytics that use algorithms to evaluate employee performance. The fast-shifting legal landscape As generative AI leads the charge in advancing monitoring software, business leaders are left to navigate a constantly changing landscape of federal and state regulations governing the use of monitoring tools. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 is still the federal baseline, said Alan Heimlich, president of Heimlich Law. It allows for monitoring by employers with a legitimate business purpose or consent. States are left to tighten the laws in their own jurisdictions. Connecticut...