A report by Australian non-profit research group Cracked Labs has criticized Microsoft Dynamics 365 for its alleged role in helping companies monitor their workers.
The firm said Microsoft Dynamics 365 could be negatively impacting worker autonomy through the use of software to monitor mobile service workers via smartphone apps, leading to increased stress associated with micromanagement.
The notes are part of the broader project 'Digital Surveillance and Control at Work', so they indirectly link Microsoft to the idea of worker surveillance.
Monitoring Microsoft Dynamics 365 Workers
The report compares how mobile maintenance workers could enjoy autonomy with the modern reality of increased surveillance through the use of smartphones, which can allow employers to track things like activities, locations and other data points.
According to Cracked Labs, the rise of micromanagement is leading to a lower sense of purpose and lower job satisfaction.
The paper, written by researcher Wolfie Christl, highlights concerns around “algorithmic management” that pressures workers to speed through tasks, increasing stress and possibly reducing performance.
Microsoft isn't the only one enabling this type of tracking, though. While the report focuses on Microsoft Dynamics 365, it also notes that there are similar field service management apps from Oracle, SAP, and Salesforce.
Lili Cheng, corporate vice president of applications and business platforms at Microsoft, explained to Register“That is one of our main objectives: to defend the dignity and experience of workers.”
Additionally, Microsoft says its software is designed to help field service personnel do their jobs more effectively and responsibly, and while this may be a legitimate reason for enabling some of the tracking technologies, the unfortunate side effect has proven to be increased surveillance of workers.
