Barclays Employs Heat Sensors to See Who is Actually at Their Desk
Alyson Wyers — September 30, 2017 — Lifestyle
Financial services company Barclays in the UK is using heat sensors to see which bankers are actually at their desks. Using technology from Cad-Capture called OccupEye, the heat-sensing devices help reduce costs.
Although there are differing accounts over whether or not employees were informed the OccupEye tracking devices would be reporting how often workers were at their desks, the heat sensors would certainly act as an incentive to work more if one was aware of their presence. Referred to as "hot-desking," the practice is seen as a cost-cutting strategy. While the boxes may be able to provide quantitative data about desk real estate, they do not actually measure the performance of individual employees, which should also provide some reassurance.
Although there are differing accounts over whether or not employees were informed the OccupEye tracking devices would be reporting how often workers were at their desks, the heat sensors would certainly act as an incentive to work more if one was aware of their presence. Referred to as "hot-desking," the practice is seen as a cost-cutting strategy. While the boxes may be able to provide quantitative data about desk real estate, they do not actually measure the performance of individual employees, which should also provide some reassurance.
Trend Themes
1. Occupancy-sensing Technology - The emergence of heat-sensing devices like OccupEye offers an opportunity for other companies to optimize office space usage.
2. Data-driven Cost Reduction - The use of OccupEye tracking devices shows that companies are increasingly turning to data-driven methods to reduce costs in their operations.
3. Employee Surveillance - The deployment of OccupEye tracking devices has sparked ethical debates on the degree of employee surveillance that is acceptable in the workplace, prompting companies to rethink their monitoring policies.
Industry Implications
1. Facilities Management - Companies in the facilities management industry can benefit from adopting occupancy-sensing technologies like OccupEye to optimize office space usage.
2. Human Resources - The use of employee tracking devices like OccupEye exposes companies to potential HR risks and disruptions, prompting HR managers to develop appropriate guidelines and policies.
3. Technology - The combination of sensory technology and AI-powered analytics offers technology companies a chance to develop more advanced occupancy-sensing solutions that can provide insights beyond simple desk usage.
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