NYC employees to punch in using hand geometry scanners
Move sparks cries of “geoslavery,” but mayor denies claims he intends to introduce iris scans and voice recognition systems; managing employee response key to a succesful biometrics roll-out; buddy-punching remains a critical problem
It is one thing to decide in a management meeting to install some sort of biometric system in one’s office. It is another thing entirely to convince the employees to cooperate with it. To many, it sounds Big Brotherish; to others, the proposition that they should turn over personal identifing information to their boss, who might some day be tempted or forced to transfer that data to law enforcement, seems absurd or downright scary. We have reported, for instance, how a city employees union in New Jersey rebelled against a fingerprint time clock, and also how a sharp-thinking hotel manager in San Diego decided to go with voice biometrics when his immigrants employees expressed objections to providing finger scans.
Look to New York City as the next big battleground. The city’s planned roll-out of hand-geometry scanners in all government agencies has sparked union cries of “geoslavery,” with many union members claiming that the system will permit management to track and control their employees. As the system is intended to replace punch-card time clocks — known for the suspectibility to “buddy punching” — this is patially true. Nevertheless, said city employee Dennis Colson, “It’s frustrating, it’s kind of an insult. They are talking about going to voice and retina scanners and that’s an invasion of privacy in that they can track you wherever you go.” That, however, is probably not true. According to the mayor, thereare no plans to install facial recognition or iris scanners, and there are no plans afoot to enslave the workers. Said one sardonic biometrics expert: “There may be large forces at work in western society wishing to enslave the workforce … But hand geometry is not part of this.”
-read more in this Reuters report
