More Invasive Technology Coming to an Office Near You

Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:00AM EST

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Working Guy, Chris Null first told us about Microsoft's patent application for a "unique monitoring system" that would keep tabs on a worker's productivity levels, physical and mental well-being, as well as competence. This so-called system would consist of wireless sensors that would measure a worker's heart rate, body temperature, brain signals, facial movements, and respiration rate. As if that wasn't enough, the system would also provide assistance and alert management if it sensed a worker was highly stressed or frustrated. Talk about invasive!

Now there are those who think it will take years before these type of monitoring systems start showing up at work, but the reality is they're already out there. The UK's Hot Forest Technology has developed Optimal Office, a system that the company says will help you (meaning the boss) "identify the stress fingerprint of your organization." It's not as intrusive as the system Microsoft is working on, but Optimal Office comes close.

Workers are given a special mouse with bio-sensors that capture a person's body temperature and galvanic skin response, which are used to detect the user's level of anxiety and stress. The same bio-feedback technology used in the mouse is the same used in lie detectors, so that should give you an idea of how accurate it can be.

If the system determines a person's baseline stress level is peaking, it will alert them via a pop-up box, and walk them through a series of stress reducing exercises that are supposed to help relax the person. All the while, the information is being sent to a web server so your boss can view it anytime and determine whether they need to fire or hire more people around the office. It's a good thing this system is still overseas, but it'll be only a matter of time before something like this creeps into the American workspace. What do you think? You think the boss could ever get away with this?

 

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  • 26 Posted by jdbrand1432000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think this technology would find that stress increases when the boss is present. What would they do with those findings?

  • 27 Posted by sweet_t_girl65 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    This sounds exactly like the kind of thing that the company that I work for would do... They already monitor our phone calls and insisted that we all participate in a health screening to see which employees were "at risk". This just wouldn't even surprise me.

  • 28 Posted by job_lowe1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    80% of productivity comes from 20% of the workforce. My guess is that producers have nothing to worry about irrespective of the tale of their vital signs. Guys like you and me who are burning $50 an hour of wage and benefits to post responses to stories like this should be concerned. At the risk of sounding like a heretic, we've probably got it coming.

  • 29 Posted by thehutch86 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Get ready for the military to come in and remove defective workers who are against their company's ideals and therefore are revolutionaries against the government! All because ofa heart rate. Maybe 1984 will come

  • 30 Posted by norman_mckeown on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is really just part of an overall pattern that is getting worse all the time. It's an area where our technology has changed the world faster than our ability to react to it and cope with it. Even the safeguards supposedly built into law do little if nothing to stop the invasion of our privacy. The government is buying information about us from private businesses where the law prohibits them from obtaining the information on their own. Combined with what are now "accepted business practices" such as video recordings in virtually all public places, monitoring our buying habits, out text and phone messages, our financial, employment, medical and educational records, and who know's what else, the corporations and government can now "look over our shoulder" at any time they choose. Our courts have essentially said that we have no right to privacy any time we leave our home and darn little when we stay inside. Of course it bothers me. Given the personalities of some of the "Little Napoleons" for a boss or supervisor, I have run across over the years, I would have to be brain dead not to be disturbed.

  • 31 Posted by bobcaine99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    I wonder if the boss will be giving you time off for stress relief? Think this could lead to disability claims due to the stress? They better think twice...the printouts would be great to use in court.

  • 32 Posted by smokinpixels on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    is this information going to be available to possible new recruits, applying for a position at such a company. because i value my privacy and my right to be stressed.

  • 33 Posted by nell988 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Everytime I read an article like this, I can't help but be so thankful that I'm on my way to working for myself and hopefully starting my own company. One thing for sure- there will never be anything like this in my office! Talk about creepy

  • 34 Posted by michael_oxgood on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    ironic, isn't it, that my boss is my biggest source of stress, usually thru his very impressive micro-managing skills. wow. now he could become an even better micro manager. that is impressive. how very dilbert of them to invent something like this.

  • 35 Posted by mannibale81 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    Work is not the most relaxing place to be. Its true. Them monitoring me is not going to make me feel any more at ease either. I believe it is a huge invasion of privacy on the companys part. Basically its them telling me how to feel. Nobody is going to tell me how to feel about things. They never have and never will. And if the company that I worked for got that for our office to use I would resign. There is no need for them to tell me how to handle myself and situations that they know nothing about.

  • 36 Posted by mcm_ca789 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    Only myopic tech nerds like (apparently) some at Microsoft would think this will actually fly in the real world. It is dripping with invasion of privacy issues. And yes, knowing that you are being monitored on all those levels would indeed raise stress levels. Not very thoughtful technology after all, and far from holistic.

  • 37 Posted by tungnguy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can see people sueing their employers because of high blood pressure caused by stress that is conveniently documented through these records. What about when you are stressed out, but not using the mouse? I think I'll just glue mine to my hand and carry it around all the time.

  • 38 Posted by arkdeathlands on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    just one more example of our rights as free souls being steped on by big brother.just like the bill of rights

  • 39 Posted by niceguy5001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    Maybe they can add a probe to the chairs also, that way they know if an employee has to go to the bathroom, on a scale of 1 to it's almost out... with a handy sensor with detects what you had for lunch, if it's not healthy then a pop goes to your slave driver, I mean boss.

  • 40 Posted by g15host on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    The solution always lies in the problem. In the coming tightening economy, I don't see any IT shop being able afford the additional money and resource to manage such a data intensive IT system. If it was implemented though, it will provide the public with solid proof once and for all that using Microsoft products cause stress, and that Windows programs causes carpal tunnel, and with these evidence in hand the class action lawsuit will finally bring down Microsoft.

  • 41 Posted by aranagisele on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ive been saying this for years,"Its Orwellian". I refer to George Orwells novel-1984,first published 1949.I went to my minilibrary in the next room and there it was on a top shelf. I say I am catching up to the late 20th C and being older i try not to feel too intimidated by this madness of tech. My heart goes out to young people competing for jobs and sanity in this ever increasing impersonal world of ours.Truly I wish I were more techno competent. I live in rural Alaska, outside Anch.and feel overwhelmed if I spend more than a day in that city! I cant compete on the level expected today and even as a social worker still feel I can never learn enough to catch up to this C. Thanks for the website as I think it will prove helpful for my sluggish brain cells!! Still happy to live in the rurals of AK!!!!!

  • 42 Posted by brodavidk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    One of the many nice things about teaching is that I'm not chained to a computer all day, so this technology would be useless in my workplace. :)

  • 43 Posted by audatoxic on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    [sarcasm ON] That sounds like the perfect gizmo for the people at the Audatex Call Center!! I'm sure the pinhead supervisors already spying on TSR's all day long, will be thrilled to spend their corporate budget on such an innovative product. Watch for that e-mail coming out soon[sarcasm OFF].

  • 44 Posted by hbmarsh on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is incredibly invasive! It's something that would reduce productivity and increase stress, not to mention infringe on people's right to privacy. It's just an excuse for managers to spy on their employees. Awful!

  • 45 Posted by davjar42 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    just bring in your own usb mouse. and sing a bar of Alice's Restaurant as you walk out. of course!

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