Hidden devices scrutinize employees

Employers are rushing to embrace the Internet of Things, with its array of smart gadgets, to keep watch on their workers. Studies contend that these devices help reduce theft, boost productivity and weed out lazy, incompetent or abusive employees. Since 2007, experts say, the extent of employee monitoring has increased steadily due largely to the growing array of data-gathering gadgets known as the Internet of Things. Tracking workers could become more intrusive in the future, with some tech experts and privacy advocates believing that bosses eventually will seek to monitor employees with smart clothing and perhaps even ingestible devices or implantable microchips.