Assessing the effects of ‘big brother’ in a workplace: The case of WAST

• Many workers see electronic monitoring devices as important for their protection and safety at work.
• Monitoring devices are helpful in obtaining instrumental control over various tasks.
• Improvements in worker-management relations can help avoid worker displeasure with electronic devices at workplaces.

The extensive and growing use of electronic performance monitoring in organisations has resulted in considerable debate over the years. This paper focuses on workplace monitoring at the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST), a provider of emergency services for the people of Wales, in the UK. The key objectives include examining the nature of performance monitoring at its call centres and determining whether employees are micromanaged through the use of workplace surveillance. The findings cover staff (both management and non-management) perceptions, gathered through a questionnaire and interviews as well as observations made in the study areas. The findings revealed that workplace electronic monitoring is not intrinsically all good or all bad. It is value neutral and offers a win–win situation.