New devices could track employee movements to maintain social distance

You may have a new excuse to stay away from your coworkers.

When Americans return to work, they are likely to be tasked with staying away from each other while doing their daily tasks. Because as companies reopen, it seems that distancing in the workplace will become a reality to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Some workers may even be asked (or required) to wear monitoring armbands or badges to follow employees.

Several different companies have advertised products intended to help employees keep a proper distance from each other, The Intercept reports. These devices include wristbands that can be worn around the wrist or insignia that can be worn around the neck.

Companies like AiRISTA and Redpoint seek to use Bluetooth, WiFi and radio signals in products designed to help companies monitor the exact locations of employees. In concept, employees would use these devices, and whenever they got too close to another employee, the device would issue some kind of warning. Depending on the configuration, the device may sound a warning, for example.

These devices could be used to keep track of each instance and even to track employee interactions.

Some hospitals already use devices that use RFID chips to monitor employee movements, according to the board. These devices can also be placed on door handles, sinks, and soap dispensers, to recognize when an RFID-enabled lanyard is nearby, thus tracking which employees wash their hands properly. These hospitals are also reportedly able to monitor which workers are interacting with specific objects and keep a record of behaviors.

Meanwhile, Redpoint said in a recent press release that companies in China are already using their technology to help enforce social distancing measures.

“When we saw that our solution was helping our customers in China, we wanted to make it available to the rest of the world,” said Chunjie Duan, CEO and co-founder of Redpoint, in a press release “We can use our technology to help.”