NYC employees rebel against introduction of biometric monitoring
After six months of agitation, city employees unions persuaded New York City to make the use of biometric “punch clock” voluntary; the unions’ next targets: Voice recognition to track city staffers out in the field, and GPS built into city employees’ cars or cell phones
The City of New York had what it thought was a great idea: Install high-tech biometric devices to verify city employees’ job arrival and departure. Except that the city employees did not like the idea, and after more than six months of protest and agitation, they may have won the battle.
Last week the head of the city department where objections were strongest told his staff that use of controversial “hand geometry” devices will become voluntary. Exactly what tools and procedures the city’s 345,000 employees will use to keep their time sheets during the next few months is unclear, since the Office of Labor Relations (OLR) announced ten days ago that use of the new Hand Punch 4000 units
