Wearables in the workplace

An online survey by PwC provides a snapshot of what South Africans think about wearables in the workplace. South Africans are not as adverse to sharing data with their employers as their UK counterparts, who were less happy to share their data with their workplace.

The type of information we are willing to share includes marital status, number of children, the frequency of physical exercise, and average blood pressure and heart rate. We are even more willing to part with this data if an incentive is offered.

Pixabay

Given the right reward, respondents are willing to share their travel time to and from work, the time they get to work and leave work, their blood pressure and average heart rate and movement.

Nanie Rothman, an associate director in PwC’s Actuarial, Risk and Quants Division, who presented the information at a presentation at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, says that there are many benefits for both the employee and employer that can be gained from wearable tech.

“On the employers’ side it can increase employee productivity and absenteeism rates, while for the employee it can have significant health and work related benefits,” says Rothman. For example, Tesco’s warehouse employees were issued with smart bands and it assisted in preventing work related accidents. Another example is a company in the US, where employees had a high rate of flu during winter. Through wearable tech it was uncovered that many employees did not have the right clothing for the winter temperatures and therefore were getting ill. The company could assist them. “The result is a win for both sides,” she adds.

“What needs to be kept in mind is that wearables are for employee engagement and as such are a tool and not a solution. They will only be as effective as the value you create from the data your employees share with you,” she says.

However, while some of the data respondents are willing to share is in the public domain (such as the number of children you have), some of it is not. “Wearables in the workplace is currently very new, but it is happening quickly so we need to start having a conversation around data, the sharing of data and trust between employees and employers,” says Barry Vorster, PwC Leader of People & Organisation.

Currently there is no legislation that deals with this. “We might be able to deduce things out of POPI if we had to, but really this is new territory for legislators and regulators,” says Vorster.

And we have to think about it, he emphasises. “This is happening faster than you think and as more employers use wearables we will have to develop legislation.” He adds that wearables should be seen as something to improve an employee’s life in the workplace. “This can make not only the workplace a better and a happy place, but also the world.”

He pointed out that this study was just a beginning. “A similar study is done in the UK and we wanted to find out what South Africans think. I am not sure why we are more trusting than our UK counterparts, but we will be looking into this as the study continues.”

This study sample comprised over 2000 people.