It was only a matter of time before Big Brother developed the technology to track and document our every movement in and out of the workplace, digitally. Once upon a time there was the Bundy clock when factory workers and other slaves in the workplace had to Bundy on and Bundy off using a time card so the slave drivers could record to the very second their attendance in the workplace. And employers were only too happy to dock their pay if workers arrived just a minute late, or left just a minute early. Conversely, if workers arrived early, as they invariably did to avoid being docked, they didn't receive anything extra in their paypackets. Workers crowded around the Bundy clock at knockoff time so as not to give their employers anymore of their valuable time for nothing. Technology has now got even smarter in recording workers' comings and goings, and penalizing them accordingly. Many workers are now required to log on and log off at work using their smart phones. And there is no escaping Big Brother watching from satellites above through our own devices. Eventually, the GPS timing device will also double as a tracking system as well so employers will know exactly when employees are taking a dump or taking an unauthorized break in the workplace. Companies in Australia, like the aptly named Kronos, have revolutionized the way employers are now scrutinizing employees by the millisecond. The technology revolution might be upon us, but it won’t be too long before employees revolt because no one wants to be watched every minute of every day, and that includes being timed on, and off. Watch this space. It's going to get real ugly! Jens Ward, WardswordsTime Lords trigger revolution
It was only a matter of time before Big Brother developed the technology to track and document our every movement in and out of the workplace, digitally. Once upon a time there was the Bundy clock when factory workers and other slaves in the workplace had to Bundy on and Bundy off using a time card so the slave drivers could record to the very second their attendance in the workplace. And employers were only too happy to dock their pay if workers arrived just a minute late, or left just a minute early. Conversely, if workers arrived early, as they invariably did to avoid being docked, they didn't receive anything extra in their paypackets. Workers crowded around the Bundy clock at knockoff time so as not to give their employers anymore of their valuable time for nothing. Technology has now got even smarter in recording workers' comings and goings, and penalizing them accordingly. Many workers are now required to log on and log off at work using their smart phones. And there is no escaping Big Brother watching from satellites above through our own devices. Eventually, the GPS timing device will also double as a tracking system as well so employers will know exactly when employees are taking a dump or taking an unauthorized break in the workplace. Companies in Australia, like the aptly named Kronos, have revolutionized the way employers are now scrutinizing employees by the millisecond. The technology revolution might be upon us, but it won’t be too long before employees revolt because no one wants to be watched every minute of every day, and that includes being timed on, and off. Watch this space. It's going to get real ugly! Jens Ward, Wardswords