Swedish employees are getting microchips implanted in their arms

In Sweden, some workers electing to have a microchip, the size of a grain of rice, implanted in their hands in terms of improving business efficiency. It will help them unlock doors, operate printers, open storage lockers and even buy smoothies with the wave of their arms.

   This is happening at Epicenter, a digital hub in Stockholm that houses more than 300 start-ups and innovation labs for larger companies. It has made the implanted microchip available to its employees and to member organizations in recent years. It is a biohacking experiment that is been embraced by some early adopters associated with the center.

   Those leading the experiment in Sweden say it is an entirely voluntary exercise. It is intended as a technological test for convenience. In an interview with The Washington Post, Patrick Mesterton, co-founder and chief executive of Epicenter, said, "It's very early to try to depict where this is going. We are just doing this because it is interesting. We want to play around with technology.".

   Actually, the promise behind the implant being offered at Epicenter is efficiency. According to the article on The Washington Post, people who get "chipped" (the same technology used to track pets or deliveries) can replace key cards, employee badges and credit cards for certain functions at the facility with technology that cannot be lost or left behind.

   The procedure of getting the microchip costs about 150 dollars, and for now it is on a voluntary basis. About 75 of the 2,000 people who work for the organizations housed at Epicenter had elected to have the chip implanted, and another 75 people who have no direct affiliation with Epicenter.

   Also, it is a "passive chip", which means that the technology does not allow for any kind of monitoring. It is the same as if you would use a single key card, but you carry it inside tour body. "If a person is worried about being traced, your mobile phone or Internet search history poses a bigger threat than the RFID chip we use ever would do" Mesterton said in an email.

   Ethical and privacy issues are rising accordingly, as the technology and the chips are becoming affordable and adaptable. Conceptually, more data than just a key password could get collected by using this kind of technology in businesses, such as how often and how long someone is working, time breaks, health issues etc..

   To sum up, Human Resources Management has one more reason to worry about the future of workplaces. Technology is rapidly adopted by businesses, due to the globalized pressure of maintaining and expanding the competitive advantage of the firm. The impact of these technology trends and its broaden dimensions, will be one of the most important topics in the next decades.