The advent of the ‘internet of things’ was supposed to bring convenience and efficiency to everyday life: Fridges that reordered staples on a just-in-time basis, cellphones that would call home when they were misplaced, cars that could self-park. But beyond such domestic convenience, new tracking, big data and monitoring technology has started to invade the workspace. This presents a new dilemma for HR professionals and OD specialists: where should an organization draw the line between helping individuals live more productive and healthy lives, and invading the privacy of employees with big-brother type surveillance. The National Workrights Institute says that two out of three U.S. employers are using some sort of electronic monitoring of employees. Some approaches are well known, and start with the hiring process.

^{Source: Fraser Marlow, Head of Workplace Research at Workplace Dynamics}