Over the last few years, some employers have turned to tracking software to ensure that offsite staff are working while on the clock, and to boost productivity.
Tools like activity monitors and location trackers, however, do not actually increase productivity and can instead cause a backlash among workers, affecting job satisfaction, according to a new poll. Additionally, 26% of tracked employees said they distrust their employer and half of them feel pressured to work more hours, the survey by review website Software Finder found.
What Employers Are Using
- Time-tracking software – Helps monitor when employees log in and out of work systems, and how they distribute their time across tasks.
- Screen monitoring – Offers real-time insights into employees’ screen activities, providing a glimpse into their work habits and efficiency.
- Keystroke logging – Tracks every keypress, offering data on productivity and potential security risks.
- Communication monitoring – Analyzes team messaging platforms to understand communication patterns, collaboration, and information sharing.
Employee Resentment
The survey found that:
- 53% of employees believe it’s a privacy violation for employers to track their activity.
- Three in four employees believe it’s a privacy violation for employers to track their location.
- 36% of employees whose activity is tracked are currently looking for a new job, compared to just 18% of those who are not tracked.
Some employees have gotten wise and use a “mouse jiggler,” which thwarts software that tracks mouse movements. This prevents tracking software from detecting inactivity and makes employees appear active when they aren’t.
Fast Fact: 17% of remote workers use mouse jiggling, and 12% don’t, but want to.
What You Can Do
Insightful.com has this advice:
- Don’t track remote workers’ time outside work hours.
- Don’t install monitoring software on their personal devices.
- Don’t track remote workers without consent.
- Don’t use data to micromanage your employees.
- Don’t ignore signs of burnout in your staff.
If you plan to implement tracking, be transparent about the process. The Software Finder recommends the following:
- Encourage staff to raise questions/concerns. Keep an open line of communication with those who may feel that their privacy is being invaded. Be transparent about the implementation of monitoring software, and cover the program in meetings with your staff and address their concerns.
- Check in with workers. Hold a few meetings a year to check in with your workers about issues they may have. This will give you the chance to also adjust your tracking metrics.
- Train remote employees. Your workers, supervisors, and managers should know how to use the software properly, be familiar with its features, and understand why it’s being used.