Wearables in the workplace have major implications

Torontosun.com
May 7, 2017
By Marie O’Mahony

When you send a text from your phone, barring a mistyped number, you generally know who is receiving the information and reading it.

If you use a Fitbit or other ‘wearable’ in the gym, likewise you know where the information is going, which is mostly to the wearer themselves.

But with the growth of wearables in the workplace, how employee information is gathered, stored and used is becoming cause for concern.

Researchers Steven Richardson and Debra Mackinnon at Queen’s University have published a report titled ‘Left to their own devices? Privacy Implications of Wearable Technology in Canadian Workplaces’ and highlighted some of the issues that have to be considered by all stakeholders.

First, what are these devices and how might they affect you? Fourteen uses have been identified that range from manufacturing to health and safety and customer service. These appear in devices that in some instances are very familiar, such as fitness trackers and smart watches, but can also include body sensors and virtual reality headsets.

There are around 25 different sensors in use, with the number growing as the scale becomes increasingly small. Miniaturization allows the devices to be discrete, often embedded in smart clothing so that it looks similar to regular work attire. Researchers have identified more than 420 devices that are currently available for use in the workplace. The chances are that if you are not using one already, you or someone you know soon will be.

Wearables in the workplace are promoted as simultaneously offering to help the user, monitoring their health and empowering them in this way. This also helps to increase productivity and efficiencies, as well helping to prevent workplace accidents to people and equipment.

In mining, for instance, a single tire used on the Letourneau L-2350 front loader earth-mover can cost a staggering $86,000, so that an accident caused by driver fatigue can be costly.

While the technology would seem to be a win-win for everyone, the researchers argue that there is a need for greater accountability and transparency in how the devices are being implemented so that we have a more informed approach to privacy in the workplace.

The privacy question around wearables goes far beyond the information gathered and used to get the work done and protect worker, employer and equipment. What happens to this information is an important question that is not being addressed sufficiently. What happens if it is combined with other data or used beyond its initial purpose without the employee’s knowledge or agreement?

Imagine the scenario where two long distance truck drivers use a wearable that monitors for fatigue. One suffers more than the other and has more stops en route. At the end of the year, the company has to reduce driver numbers so one has to be made redundant. Which is more likely to keep their job?

Wearables offer huge benefits and the technology is undoubtedly here to stay. However, the privacy issues do need more careful consideration by all the stakeholders involved prior to implementation. Richardson and Mackinnon go even further and see this as an “opportunity to differentiate and promote the strengths and competitive advantage of Canadian privacy laws.” That can’t be bad.