Biometrics the new frontier in keeping tabs on employees

When PwC launched a "traffic light system" last week for managers to track employees' attendance in the office, it reignited an old debate. As one LinkedIn user asked: "Is this an erosion of trust, or just an updated means of 'punching the clock?

- Barney Macintyre

Under the scheme, a dashboard viewable by the accountancy firm's bosses will record the time staff spend in the office by monitoring swipes of work passes and connections to wifi.

It shows staff as "amber" if they fall below a 60% threshold and "red" below 40%, raising the possibility of formal sanctions for noncompliance.

HSBC is also beefing up its "boss-ware". The bank is planning a fourfold increase in the number of cameras at its new building in the City, and doubling the number of biometric readers required to access trading floors.