Author name: Jenny Nicole

Employee Monitoring

4 Modern Workplace Controversies

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The impediment of business growth? Too many conflicts and controversies between employers and employees. There is a lot of apprehension regarding employee productivity and honesty but there is hardly any concern shown regarding the optimization of workers’ satisfaction. The contemporary workplace environment requires less of a bossy attitude and more of a team effort. However, there are many problems that can rise due to mismanagement. Let’s discuss some of these: Too Much Executive Compensation Think of a scenario where employees are laid off while the CEO receives a $5 million annual bonus. Do you find it fair? It’s a hot debate these days in U.S due to generous compensation of the executives. According to a survey of 350 largest corporations of U.S by The Economist, CEOs earn 231 times more than the average worker. Putting it the other way, for every dollar that a worker earns, CEOs earn $231. This compensation in U.S for executives is relatively higher than their overseas counterparts. Proponents of executive compensation argue that the salaries are competitive with the market and statutory to get the talent. For instance, Apple hired the Burberry CEO to design the Apple watch. Others say that the higher salaries are a compensation for a greater risk of being fired. The controversy lies where even bad performance of CEOs earn them immense bonuses and salaries Comparable Worth While some employees are paid high, others might be taken for granted. Even though both having same qualification and experience. The workplace discrimination on race, gender and nationality should be condemned. For example, a female engineer should have the same pay as that of a male engineer for the same level job, considering they have similar set of skills, qualification and experience. Work-Life Balance Economic hardships and rising competition has led to fewer jobs. While the existing employees are in an awe of their jobs, companies try to squeeze more output from fewer employees. Too many workplace obligations result in a poor work-life balance. There is hardly any time spared for kids. The resulting trade-off builds pressure on individuals and is attributed for higher suicide rates. Gladly parental monitoring is not much of a problem these days with newer methods like smartphone monitoring, allowing parents to oversee their kids’ activities remotely, even from their office. Workplace Violence The stats for workplace homicides are scary. 809 killings took place during 2004 alone, according to the data published by United States Department of Labor, around 7280000 violence related crimes were reported in 2004 by the Department of justice. What employers are neglecting these days is the employee screening tests to save on the additional hiring costs. Therefore, they end up hiring criminals and thugs. There should be a protection program against workplace violence. Managers should know how to identify potential problem employees. Again, a smartphone monitoring app for the employees can reveal a lot information about the personality traits of the employees. Professional counselling should be provided to employees struggling with emotions. Also, care should be taken under circumstances of employee termination, redundancy, demotion, disciplinary actions and lay-offs that can instigate a perilous reaction from the employees. Ensure that their dignity is preserved during the process as ex-employees can also be respond violently. CEOs, managers and other decision makers should interest themselves towards the aforementioned problems. The outcome will be better profitability and lesser lawsuits. Nothing can be and should be valued more than someone’s life, be it a senior employee or a janitor at the workplace.

Child Monitoring, Parental Monitoring

5 Ways E-Grounding is Better than Traditional Grounding

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Disciplining Gen-Z is a way different monster than any parenting class would ever teach you about. Because this is a time when Google has become older than many kids that use it.  So, simply grounding—that is confining a child to their homes/rooms as punishment—may not be as effective anymore. Kids Today Have Different Activities Why isn’t grounding useful anymore you ask? Because children have different activities now. Back in the day when you got grounded, it actually meant something because it meant you couldn’t go out to see your friends or play or take in the fresh air. Kids these days, however, have an indoor life which is much more exciting to them than the outdoors. Video games, smartphones, the internet with all its offerings. I’m sure you’ve found yourself asking your kid to get out instead of staying in. So grounding them is like handing them a vacation. It’s not punishment, it is reward. e-Grounding is Effective So what do you do when traditional grounding is moot? You turn to e-grounding. This simply means, when push comes to shove, you take away their technology privileges. Kids these days can maybe live a week without going outside. They’ve got Netflix to keep them company, Facebook to keep them in their social circles, WhatsApp to keep them with their friends. But once you’ve taken that away, too, that’s when the punishment really begins. Here’s a really clever idea on what you can do while you’re kids are e-grounded… Establishing Unplugging Hours I feel like digital detox should be practiced in all families. A few allotted hours during the day when the entire family unplugs. Mealtimes are ideal times for unplugging. But there must also be a few hours where there family can do something together, and if not, the child is made to do something creative or physical. Parental Controls Work Wonders A parental monitoring app is ideal in making sure your child is not going overboard with their gadgets. This will also help you regulate that the e-grounding is actually being carried out. So anytime your child tries to sneak back their gadgets, or find another way to log into their Facebook, you are going to be informed right away. Children Become the Teachers We’ve been trying to keep you up to date with smartphones and the internet in the hope that we bridge the technology gap between you and your children. But honestly, what better teacher is there than the people who’ve been born and raised around iPads and laptops? So don’t be afraid of a little role reversal. Let your kids become your teachers. If anything, you’re going to understand their world a lot better!

Employee Monitoring

When Technology Becomes Integral to Employee Empowerment

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Remember when we were talking about empowering employees? As it turns out, technology has a lot to do with whether or not an employee feels empowered in a workplace. And a lot of it determines how much or how little an employee is willing to contribute to a company’s success. Perhaps the biggest reason why technology is becoming akin to empowerment is because millennials make up half of the workplace now.  Take a look at this infographic from NEC. Here’s what millenials think about technology: It makes them produce better quality work It makes communication easier It makes collaboration easier Freedom to use any app they want makes them feel empowered Reviewing your technology policies for this new workforce seems like the right thing to do. But as all things with management, it is not without complications. For example, you’re going to have to set boundaries for safety and ethical conduct. Then you’re going to decide if the BYOD policy is for you or not. Then you’ve got to see how your human resource reacts to these policies. For instance, many workplaces want to be ‘mobile-free zones’. Which, frankly in this day and age could be a little impractical. Some workplaces don’t want you using your personal Facebook. It seems like a reasonable request… but once more, you’re going to have to be the one that tests the waters in your context. Employee surveillance app will then come in handy. Because while an overbearing presence of a manager may not be empowering, gentle, non-intrusive surveillance that regulates safety and ethics is necessary, and a better option at that.

Employee Monitoring

3 Reasons You Should Empower Your Employees

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With as much conversation as there is about employee engagement these days, you’d think the overall workforce would be happier with their jobs. But the fact remains that less than 30% employee are engaged at work. What this concept means is that employee want to work in an environment that is not only fun, but also fulfils their career goals, is meaningful to them, and leaves them feeling empowered. So here’s why you should empower your employees in your business, too. 1.      More Devotion to Company Do you remember how back in school you’d have certain classes that you enjoyed and certain that you didn’t? Speaking from my own experience, the classes I enjoyed were the classes I felt empowered. Where I felt like I could speak out and my opinion would matter, and even if it weren’t my best subject, I had room to grow. The bad classes had teachers who were always looking to make me look bad, or humiliate students, and generally make them feel unwelcome. The same principle applies here. If your employees are empowered, they would want to be at the company, and they would want to work for its betterment. Not because they are being paid for it, but because they enjoy being there and for self-fulfillment. 2.      Better Idea Generation An empowered employee won’t feel like another face in the crowd. They would feel like they can speak up and bring about ideas. And this is brilliant for you as an employer because some of your best ideas would come from right here. Someone once told me about how they were snubbed when two superiors were speaking amongst each other about the idea of selling their app to a bigger company. When my friend chimed in, they met with a curt “Continue with your work.” Which was perhaps another way of saying “Mind your own business.” Except what a company works towards is everyone’s business. The narrator of this story had an obvious connection with the company they wanted to sell to. But with superiors to push him down, they might not want to bring up another idea that improves the company ever again. This example also clearly shows how certain behaviors disempower your employees, too. Recommended For You:  Employee Monitoring Software – Spy Employees Remotely 3.      Focus on the Bigger Picture One of my favorite employee engagement stories is that of a janitor that worked at the NASA space center. When President Kennedy asked him about what his position at the company was, he replied with “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” This is the form of empowerment we are talking about. Where this man, regardless of how small his role in the company was, realized that he is part of a bigger picture. This is the sort of empowerment that creates brilliant teams and what ultimately makes the company successful. So there we go. An empowered employee is an engaged employee. And empowered employees make better decisions, go beyond duty and do what is best for the company, not just themselves.  

Child Monitoring

5 Easy Cheat Sheets for all Your Digital Parenting Problems

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Digital parenting is not the kind of job where you can clock out at 5 and be done with it. It is a constant process, because as the internet keeps moving forward, so do the problems that come with it. And we realize it can all get a bit overwhelming, trying to keep up with everything at the same time. So we’ve decided to put together a few cheat sheets to make your lives easier. We realize you’ve got your hands full with teenagers and their smartphones. (pixelsmithstudios.com) But as long as you know the things you’ve got to look out for, it’s not going to be so tough anymore. 1.      Digital Footprints Matter We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, everything you do on the internet leaves a footprint. Which means that anything your child says on a comments section, or any opinion they voice on their Facebook will remain on the internet in one form or the other. As a parent, you need to be aware of the kind of digital footprint your kid is leaving behind. Look at this chart from IDF Marketing. 2.      Leaning to Deal with Cyberbullying The internet is full of nameless, faceless people. And that level of anonymity robs children of their sense of accountability. Which usually leads to mayhem. So, you need to watch what your kid does on their phones and the internet very carefully.  Identify cyberbullying, then know how to deal with it, too.  This infographic from ACMA should help you out: 3.      Oversharing vs. Protecting Privacy Oversharing is perhaps amongst the internet’s biggest epidemic. But guess what? Your teen is probably aware of that by this point. Lots of kids are actively looking to protect their privacy. If you’ve got a child that is prone to oversharing on the internet, they might want to take a leaf from these children’s book: 4.      Unplugging is Good The internet is addicting. Which is why you’ve got to the mediator that helps your child strike a healthy balance. It’s good to use the internet to learn and connect. But when it starts to hinder their offline life, that’s when you’ve got to step in. Wall Blog has some useful advice. 5.      Parental Controls Work None of your monitoring will be effective if you aren’t using parental controls. Because you’re the adult. You will pick up on things that are harmful that your child won’t. Either that, or they might actively seek out mischief on the internet. In any case, parental controls will be your savior. Here’s an infographic from Veracode to explain how you can use them:

Employee Monitoring
Employee Monitoring

6 Reasons Your Employees Might Hate You

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According to Pew research center’s August report, American workers are working for longer hours with lesser pay, resulting in a higher levels of stress. The survey consisted of 2003 workers and revealed that older ones are less satisfied with their jobs as compared to two decades ago. However, younger workforce tends to be more satisfied, pertaining to a better job security. But it should always be taken into consideration that the overall employee satisfaction is falling and there are many reasons to it. I will elucidate the 6 most important ones: 1.      Too Much Communication Gap In a fear of retribution, employees first hesitate and then completely avoid speaking forthright. There are a lot of things that employers can do, like setting a time for employees’ feedback, asking questions and not acting like a ghost, directing everything to the employees through emails. Communication is a continuous, rather static process. Employees have a lot of tolerance for change if that window is kept in the loop. However, with a communication breakdown, rumors may spread rampantly, which can deteriorate the productivity of the employees and eventually the financial position of the company. 2.      Underpaying your employees You will hardly find an employee, who thinks that he is paid appropriately. A good way to solve this cliché is by sticking to fair-wage standards. This will not only save you the money of unnecessary law-suits but will also ensure a better workers’ productivity. What employees on the other side can do is emphasize on experience, better quality of education and opting for higher paying shifts (during the less desirable working hours) 3.      No Job Security The contemporary ways to meet the bottom line like downsizing and outsourcing has left employees with no job security at all. A large proportion of employees are made to feel no more valuable than a paper clip. The outcome is a high rate of job switching by employees. 4.      No Appreciation Your employees may have worked like crazy to finish off a project, and what they are getting in return, NOTHING! A good way to reward them for their work is by “putting something extra on their plate”. A financial reward is the most effective way to appreciate your employees. 5.      Too Much Work? Do you want your employees to perform better? Stop over burdening them with heaps of work. With more work and nothing more in remuneration would mean health problems for your employees like fatigue, insomnia and weight gain. 6.      Overbearing Boss Probably the biggest workplace cliché is the overbearing and nasty boss. There is nothing positive in being a ruthless and cynical. One way to be a good boss is by giving your employees enough space and independence that can nurture their qualities. There are a few monitoring tools that hardly interrupt with the performance of your employees, like a remote Smartphone monitoring software. Get one and prove that you are not one of those autocratic and groggy employers.

Child Monitoring

Research Reveals the Parenting Flaw that Nurtures Narcissism in Kids

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It is funny how the subtlest of nuances in parenting make all the difference in shaping a child’s personality. A new study has recently found that excessively praising your children fosters narcissism. Now although this may seem utterly obvious, or look like it is hardly breaking new grounds. But really, the attention here is all in the detail, and that is exactly what a lot of parents can miss. And let’s be honest, cultivating narcissistic children is especially easy in the social media, oversharing, selfie-centric age. And we’ve tapped into this particular area lots of times, more recently in our blog about social media gloating. So it is interesting how this study breaks down exactly what types of parenting styles encourage egotism, and which boost the self-esteem. A Different Approach to Parenting When your kid has achieved something quite astounding, there are a few ways in which a parent would positively reinforce this result. They might tell them good job. They might tell them that they are an exceptional child. Or they might tell them that they’ve worked hard. These are common reinforcements and they essentially serve the same purpose. Except they don’t. The first two feed narcissism. The last harbors self-esteem.  The first two underline to the child that they are more special than others. The last praises them for the effort they’ve put in to be astounding, and does not assume or enforce that they already are that. Narcissism and Self-Esteem I’m aware that this study is going to be confusing to a lot of parents, which is why I chose to talk about the reinforcement stuff first. Because this study doesn’t tell you not to value your child. It tells you not to overvalue them. What parent doesn’t want to tell their child that they are special and beautiful? Especially when damaging and unnatural imageries of perfection plague the things they view, read or have interest in. So yes, at first glance, it is confusing to know where to draw the line between valuing and overvaluing. The thing is, narcissism is believing you are better than others.  Self-esteem is believing your worth is just as good as others. Take a look at this chart from Psychologia. A Better Strategy This study never suggests that you withdraw any and all warmth you give to your children. Nor does it tell you to withhold praise. But what I think it suggests is that you compose your praises in a way that makes them constructive and embeds them in realism. Over-praising your child over a quality they may not have does not encourage them to develop the quality. It makes them wrongly comfortable in the fact that they already have what it takes without having to work on it. (https://onco.com) Narcissism in children later on develops into aggression, even violence. Self-esteem combats depression and anxiety.

Child Monitoring

Digital Kidnapping Becomes the Internet’s Strangest New Trend

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There are a lot of odd things on the internet. The 10 hour Nyan Cat video with nearly 40 million views comes to mind, or the fact that there is a dating website specifically for Gluten Free people. But here’s one which is a whole new level of strange, mostly because at first glance, you wouldn’t know how to feel about it. And this trend is digital kidnapping. And no, it is not as simple a concept as you’re thinking it is. What is Digital Kidnapping? So what exactly happens in digital kidnapping? Someone—a complete stranger—obtains the photos of someone else’s child. The child usually being an infant or a toddler. They repost these picture onto a separate Facebook, Instagram or other social sharing platforms, and claim that the baby is their own. They usually post these picture with very specific fictional details; an imagined name, height, weight, likes and dislikes. Sometimes, they steal pictures of adults, too in order to create a fictional family. It’s probably a lot more complicated practice for it to be called ‘digital kidnapping’. Because it is a bit like playing house, isn’t it? Except the strangers are using actual photos of someone else’s babies without their knowledge. By the way, did I mention that people that run these Baby Roleplay blogs are usually teenage girls? What are BabyRP Blogs? Let’s dig a little deeper and find out how these blogs work. Apparently, if you search the hashtag #BabyRP on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll find thousands of blogs dedicated to this ‘community’. Some role play as adoption agencies, others as actual parents or families. It seems that people that run these blogs are essentially acting out a fantasy—at least in the digital sense. Here’s an example from Crime Feed: In this scenario, the role player pretends not to be the mother’s child, but the toddler herself. In the same way, many post pictures of what they want their dream house to look like or what kind of mother they want to be to the child. Except that they use stolen photos, which makes this situation a little more problematic. Digital make-believe is not uncommon. It is perhaps what makes Pinterest so popular. You can aspire to the life you wish you should have and find an escape in your fantasies. Internet roleplaying is not uncommon either. It’s simply the fact that in this BabyRP occurrence, the pictures being used in this make-believe are of actual children of actual parents. Which makes it… well, frankly a bit creepy. Who is Behind Digital Kidnapping? You’d be inclined to think that people behind these blogs are pedophiles or actual kidnappers. But nope, like I said before these bloggers are usually teenage girls. Mother Lindsay Paris found that someone was using her son’s photo as their homepage cover. Not only that, they were also telling the followers that she was the mother. So when Paris messaged the blogger and demanded that the photos be taken down, she found she was talking to a 16-year-old in California. She apologized saying she didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but always wanted a red-headed baby. What’s more unsettling is that these baby role plays cannot technically be considered a crime. Before photo sharing does not violate the terms and conditions of many social media platforms. And then there’s the argument that it is largely harmless—it’s the photos being stolen, not the actual children. But if it does leave parents uncomfortable and with fear for their child’s security, I’d say their feelings are quite valid. What Needs to be Done? First, let me talk to parents of infants/toddlers. Of course everyone wants to document their babies growing up, but putting them on the internet for everyone to see might not be the best idea. I’d suggest you Check and modify your privacy settings Don’t make photos of your babies public—stick to friends and family only Do not tag the pictures with the exact location of your child Try and watermark the photos to claim ownership of them And now, let me talk to parents of teenagers. Like we’ve said many times before you need to watch over your child’s activities on the internet. In the past we’ve talking about you making sure they don’t have comprising photos of other teenagers. Now, considering it is mostly teenagers that are behind this, you’ve got to make sure they don’t have photos of… other people’s babies. Use a monitoring app to check their internet browsing Go through their photos and see if they’ve saved photos of children you don’t recognize Go through their social media accounts to see what they’re posting or what their interests are While people are still debating whether this phenomenon is harmful or harmless, it is entirely your responsibility to make sure your kids are not stealing photos. More importantly, make sure that these photos aren’t being used in a way that can be unsettling or disturbing to someone else.

Child Monitoring

5 Tips for Parenting a Teenager with Autism

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We’ve gotten to know quite a few of you XNSPY parents out there as this blog has grown as a conversation. And one thing we know is that a lot of you don’t just use this parental control as a means to discipline a naughty child. Many of you use it because you absolutely have to. When this dad wrote to us about his experience with parenting a daughter with social anxiety, it inspired us to provide you with more information. Because so many of you face greater challenges in parenting than we could imagine. Speaking of the earlier survey we conducted, we found that many XNSPY parents are also autism parents who use the app as a safety measure. Kids on the autism spectrum have a hard time as it is. Add to it the glory of teenage—which should be quite a handful on its own—and you’ve got quite the challenge. So here are a few important tips and pieces of advice we’ve collected from parents who have kids on the autism spectrum growing into teenagers. Accepting Change The most important thing is for parents to realize that their child’s behavior as a teenager is going to be much different to what it was when they were kids. Some parents think that their child’s autism is getting worse—when in reality, it is simply mixing up with adolescence. Regular parents expect their kids to organically attain some form of autonomy and self-sufficiency by this time. For Autism parents, it is a matter of deciding how to teach them to start taking care of themselves. Discuss their Diagnosis This is the bit that divides a lot of parents. When children are younger, they might not recognize that they view the world differently to others. For them, it is just the way that things are. But as they grow older, they find themselves in more social situations—group projects, school dances, dating. So it might be a good idea to let them know earlier on exactly what it is that sets them apart, or what leaves them with little in common with other teenagers. Often, discovering that there is a name for the things they feel/experience can make them feel better. Look for Transition Plans Trying to figure out a future is stressful for any teenagers. But if your kid is on the autistic spectrum, it might be a good idea to start researching transition plans early on. A lot of colleges have special coaching and programs and assisted living for students with disabilities. There will also be many group guiding students on how to abide by specific codes of conduct and the like. As long as you do your research right, there is no reason for your child not to experience college or a future that they want. Don’t Enforce Social Situations You’ve got to let your child decide to what extent they can handle a social situation and when it becomes too much. Obviously, each child would be different to another. Some would want to be around their friends more—others would want to avoid any social gatherings they are invited to, or expected to be a part of. Just don’t force them to get involved in activities simply because you think it is good for them. Let them make the decision. Channeling Frustration Your child is going to be really confused and overwhelmed by feelings caused by becoming young adults, handling pressure from school or grades. Which is why you’ve got to teach them to channel their frustration in a constructive, appropriate manner. Once again, having them talk to a counselor or another mentor might be quite useful. Just remember that like normal teenagers, your kids, too are going to want some space. They might not confide in you in the way that they used to. But that’s because they are growing up. As long as you’re monitoring them in the right way, and being patient, you’re doing something right.

Cell Phone Tracking, Child Monitoring

Your Child Could Be a Victim of IM Harassment

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With a considerable growth and development of the smartphone and digital media technology, text messaging apps have turned out to be a strong force. These apps offer superior features to your standard SMS like media sharing, relatable emojis, ‘tap and hold’ voice messages and the option to share stuff to other media devices directly through your app. Attach a received file to your email or send it over to Facebook through a single touch on your IM app. This ease of communication has done pretty well for the bullies and predators out there too. Because it makes your child all the more accessible to them… WhatsApp—it’s More Famous than You Think! WhatsApp has recently announced 700 million active monthly users. The infographic below explains just enough about WhatsApp. This fast and easy to set-up application is expected be a more preferable text messaging tool that to SMS. An average WhatsApp user sends 1267 messages, receives 2267, uploads 40 photos, 13 voice and 7 video messages on a daily basis. And needlessly to say, your children probably use it just as much. It’s not as Safe as You Think! But obviously, when it’s so accessible that anyone could use it, there is a good chance it paves way for unwanted people on your kid’s phone. I have scrutinized a few WhatsApp features which can offer a chance to bullies and stalkers to get onto your nerves and serve some intimidation. Group Chats Do you have a gang of your own at school? Make a chat room on WhatsApp and share all your media stuff, texts and gossip. But if someone adds you in a random chatroom, no permissions are taken. So by the time you will open the chat to leave the conversation, the bullies might have already done their deed. There is a thin line between fun and harassment. And you do not want your child to be pulled into a group chat just to be mocked. That’s what you need to look out for as a parent. Address Book Synchronization This feature allows for phone contacts to automatically synch to WhatsApp server. Like I said before, a feature like this has its pros and cons. It provides the convenience of pin-free address book to add someone but it also allows anyone to visit your WhatsApp profile. You cannot add or block the other person unless he sends you a text. So it is very likely that your child is visible to the stalker! Auto Back-Up Do you remember the last time you checked if WhatsApp automatically backed up your text messages? Your OTT (Over-the-top) messages are already synchronized to the WhatsApp database. Bas Bosschert mentioned on his blog that every application can access WhatsApp database even though their data is encrypted. Prior to that, WhatsApp didn’t encrypt their database. This means you need the precise amount of care before you share something personal. Epiphany for parents who hardly oversee how their children are using their smartphones. Educating your children for a safer smartphone experience is important and necessary precautions will ensure that! Try using a parental control app that can access your child’s WhatsApp messages through a cloud server. Detox Your Senses Most of our worries will vanish if we take some time off our phone screens. A little breather would ensure that we are not tech-slaves. Is your kid showing signs of IM addiction? Time to put down WhatsApp, then!

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