Ethics and Religion Talk: Is Time-Tracking Software Ethical?

Is it ethical for an employer to install time-tracker software on an employee’s home computer (which they also use for work) and use the information to ensure that workers aren't slacking off during work time while working from home?

Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds:

"I’m trying to decide whether this is really a matter of ethics. All employers have rules. To accept employment with them is to accept any conditions. Of course, there are unscrupulous companies (especially before unions) that stoop to unethical means to gain the highest profit. But I’m not sure this is that. What if the question was worded this way? “Do employers have a right to expect employees to fully commit their time and effort to working in the best interests of the company?” Is it unethical to goof off?  

And think about how jobs differ. People who work on an assembly line have little opportunity to waste time in most cases. But those in the office have a chance to be a little more chill. And within reason, it’s accepted. I suspect most bosses are concerned about results. And if the sales staff seems to be able enjoy office camaraderie to some degree but keep hitting or surpassing their quotas, much can be forgiven. 

The example story we were given to reflect on this matter is a sad one. But it’s important to note that even though the data to make this decision of firing the worker was collected electronically, it was a flesh and blood human who reacted to that data and followed through."

Father Kevin Niehoff, O.P., a Dominican priest who serves as Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Grand Rapids, responds:

"An important distinction is the use of tracking software on an employee’s home computer versus a computer provided by an employer. In the cited report from NPR, the individual had a computer given to her by her employer, with permission to use the device during off-hours for personal use.

I do not believe it unethical for an employer to use time-tracking software on its computers, whether the employee is at the employer’s office or at home. Tracking the productivity of those who choose to work remotely is fair. The employee has the ethical obligation to report the time worked accurately.

I do not believe it ethical for an employer to install time-tracking software on the employee’s computer. If the employer allows the employee to use a personal computer, the employee has the same obligation if the computer were employer-owned."

The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds:

"I think it is very reasonable and ethical for an employer to ask employees to use certain software to do their jobs. According to the article, the employee was fully aware that the software was in place and being used to track her hours worked. Upfront communication makes all the difference in this case for me. The employer was upfront with their methods and expectations. The employee states she had trouble with the software but did not explain this until after the fact. The employer believes that the employee was dishonest about the number of hours she reported working. I especially side with the employer in this case because this is an accounting firm where integrity and accuracy around money, payroll and billable hours is everything in this business.

I also think as a society we are learning more about what it means to work from home. I think many of us would be uncomfortable with software that tracks our hours. Again, upfront communication about expectations is key to it being ethical."

Linda Knieriemen, a retired pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA), responds:

"The use of time-tracker software bumps into issues of an employer’s trust in their employees, the truthfulness of the employee and the accuracy of the technology. If an employee is indeed “slacking off” but claiming to be working, this is a form of theft which is unethical. If the software used by the employer is accurate and can discern between work and personal use, and if the the employee is aware to how the software works, then it is ethical for the employer to use this type of tracking. The real ethical issue is one of trust: does the employer trust that the employee is working when they say they are? Does the employee output measure up to mutually agreed upon expectations? A just and fair employer should make allowances for some employees to complete work in less time than others, but the employee is not justified in recording hours inaccurately." 

My response:

"Whether in the office or working from home, employees have an ethical obligation to give an honest day’s labor. Employers are entitled to have systems in place to make sure that employees aren’t misusing company resources. Software tracking systems concern me because a non-human method of supervision alone cannot take into account all of the different ways that humans function and work. A good software tracker has a human supervisor behind it who connects directly with the employees as well."

This column answers questions of Ethics and Religion by submitting them to a multi-faith panel of spiritual leaders in the Grand Rapids area. We’d love to hear about the ordinary ethical questions that come up in the course of your day as well as any questions of religion that you’ve wondered about. Tell us how you resolved an ethical dilemma and see how members of the Ethics and Religion Talk panel would have handled the same situation. Please send your questions to [email protected].