Canadian HR Reporter

NEW RULES A look at how wearables are impacting the workplace NEW TOOLS NEW TOOLS NEW RULES NEW TOOLS NEW RULES NEW RULES NEW TOOLS NEW RULES Credit: Sergey Nivens, mjaud/Shutterstock By Jess Sloss I f you have heard the buzz about Google Glass, the ap- ple watch or the FitBit, then you have heard about wearable technology. ese devices are part of a new wave called the In- ternet of ings (IoT) or "smart everything," referring to the in- creasing connectivity between humans and information from objects around us. Wearable technologies are de- vices that are worn on the body, controllable (either actively, such as through buttons or voice com- mands, or passively, such as with a heartbeat) and enhance the user's experience (through augmenting knowledge, facilitating learning or simplifying communication). And wearables are now enter- ing the workplace, bringing a long-awaited evolution to enter- prise operations. But along with enhancing hu- man abilities, wearable technol- ogy is also bringing new oppor- tunities and challenges — such as finding a balance with data privacy concerns. Options While smartphones and comput- ers have revolutionized the offi ce, wearables are bringing a new revolution to millions of deskless employees: activity monitors: Activity bands are the most basic form of wearable devices on the market. However, they provide the most immediate impact for employees and their organizations. An activ- ity monitor can measure activity, heart rate and other health-relat- ed data. These devices allow for the tracking of an individual worker's bodily behaviour, which can be translated into useful data. More advanced versions of these devices, such as the Read- iband by Fatigue Science, pair basic activity monitoring with a proprietary algorithm to turn ac- tivity readings into information on fatigue levels. As an example, Fatigue Science conducted a study with Queensland Rail to assess and better understand employee fatigue and determine any time- frames of increased accident risk. As a result, one rail car control centre reduced fatigue-related risk by 39 per cent while also im- proving productivity. e Vancouver Canucks have also used Readiband and FAST Technology to monitor athlete sleep and optimal practice and travel schedules. He ad-mounte d di splays (Hmds): Head-mounted dis- plays, such as Google Glass, Re- con Instruments Snow or Vuzix M100, allow information to be delivered to workers both visually and hands-free. ese devices are controlled by nods, clicks or voice commands. Google Glass has already been brought into the workplace. Virgin Atlantic uses it to better serve VIP fl iers as the technology gives staff useful data on customers' itiner- ary and destination, while remain- ing subtle and non-invasive. " e impact of wearable devic- es for us in this industry is going to be pretty massive," said Dave Bulman, director of technology for Virgin Atlantic. Gartner analyst Angela Mc- Intyre calls the fi eld-service indus- try "a billion-dollar opportunity." Technicians, for example, can use wearable cameras to gain as- sistance with a problem they can't fi x themselves, solving an issue more quickly and potentially sav- ing a return trip. smartWatches: e Samsung Gear series, Pebble and Apple Watch are leaders in the Smart- Watch category. ey allow users to draw out important informa- tion, manage and analyze fi tness data and, in some cases, listen to music, message friends or fi nd directions. e simple act of delivering a notifi cation or other critical in- formation is valuable to both em- ployees and employers. Motion Metrics in Vancouver, a company that provides advanced monitoring systems for the min- ing industry, has helped develop a platform that allows critical alerts and warnings to be sent directly to any mining employees wearing a smartwatch. When an alert comes from the system, it could save a mine up to $10 million by taking preventa- tive actions and improve reaction times and system utilization by up to 33 per cent. Barriers to adoption While the use-cases of these de- vices are promising, there are still hurdles to overcome. The bat- tery life of some devices remains limited. A requirement for full deployment is these devices last a full workday — but most devices cannot achieve this. Additionally, there is no hard- ware on the market that meets "intrinsically safe" safety stan- dards — highly fl ammable work environments will have to wait. Beyond hardware limitations, the most challenging problem to overcome is how to identify and deliver relevant information in a timely manner. SmartWatches and HMDs have small screens and lack functional keyboards. Limiting data is the critical success factor for an organization. And activ- ity monitors allow for the track- ing of individual health data and analysis. The ability to collect and monitor workforce health data could allow employers to improve scheduling and work- flow while preventing injuries or illness. However, collecting individual- ized data raises numerous privacy concerns such as: Who stores and controls the data? How will it be used? How do we know it won't be held against us? So, are workers ready to give their employers access to such personal information? In BP America's experience, the answer might be yes. Last year, the company ran a pilot where it asked employees to wear activity monitors as part of a health and wellness program. Over 90 per cent of employees voluntarily enrolled in the pro- gram — and they reported see- ing benefits that ranged from weight loss to lower health-care premiums. e results of BP's study seem to point to a workforce willing to forego privacy concerns in return for lower benefi ts costs and bet- ter health — only time will tell if it is indicative of the broader workforce. Jess Sloss is a customer success advo- cate at Vandrico, a workplace wear- able solutions fi rm based in Vancou- ver. He can be reached at (604) 229- 1215, jess@vandrico.com or, for more information, visit www.vandrico.com. FEATURES tecHnoloGY FEATURES tecHnoloGY FEATURES Cover image: Joe Penney (Reuters)

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