Aussie employers, eager to curtail sickouts, ponder new technologies.
By Garry Kranz Comments 0 | Recommend 0
Sick: Yikes! Australian workers trying to duck work soon won’t be calling their bosses—they’ll be connecting to lie detectors equipped with next-generation voice analysis systems. That will enable their employers to tell whether they really are sick, according to Asian News International. Australian employers reportedly are considering the technology after testimonials from companies in the U.K., where bogus sick calls cost the British economy an estimated £13 million a year, or about $26 million. The system is called Voice Risk Analysis and was developed by British firms Capita and Digilog UK. Its chief feature: It picks up subtle changes in a caller’s voice that occur when they are under pressure, such as when lying. The same system also is used to detect welfare cheats and insurance frauds.
Workforce Management contributing editor Garry Kranz is based in Richmond, Virginia. E-mail editors@workforce.com to comment.
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