Workplace Freakonomics

Data analytics has revolutionized our economy, and employment is no exception. Sometimes called people analytics or HR analytics, the study of worker behavior and activity now includes the collection of massive amounts of data that is then crunched by algorithms looking for both expected and unexpected patterns. This work is akin to the freakonomics approach, which asks unusual questions and is prepared to find answers that may upset conventional wisdom. This paper explores the possibility of a workplace freakonomics approach to using big data in the workplace, and considers the legal and ethical ramifications for wide-ranging explorations of employee data