16 Jan Slacking and Tracking
According to Gallup data gathered in spring 2022, 59% of survey respondents prefer to work at least part of the week away from the office. A mere 9% of employees with remote capabilities actually prefer to work full time on-site. This shift in attitudes has swept through workplaces, with many workers willing to turn down higher-paying jobs if they can’t work from home.
But bosses are, in fact, still hovering, albeit from afar. A host of tracking tools makes it possible to monitor how and where their employees are spending official work hours. SellCell conducted a survey in June 2020 to explore workers’ behaviors and routines during the early days of the pandemic. Eighty percent admitted to slacking during work hours, particularly by surfing social media. Other time-killing distractions cited were:
- Binge-watching TV.
- Streaming movies and series while working.
- Tending to children and pets.
- Gaming.
- Exercising.
- Doing household chores.
- Shopping online.
- Socializing with friends.
While it may be permissible for employees to steal 10 minutes to throw in a load of laundry, employers are not so content to subsidize their work teams’ afternoons spent glued to the latest episode of “Bridgerton” or “Succession” or scouring online sites for new workout sneakers.
Big Brother’s toolkit
Tracking software, which is used by about 60% of large employers, reveals a wealth of details about how engaged employees are on their mouse and keyboard, when they log in and out, and the amount of time spent on social media sites. Suspicious bosses pay keen attention to:
- Emails.
- When employees are active or inactive.
- Browsers and websites visited.
- Surroundings (picked up from computer microphones and speakers).
Software can even be programmed to record or take screenshots of employees’ computer desktops throughout the day and flag conversations or job searches. Some companies follow employees’ locations with apps on their work phones. This surveillance may sound intrusive, but employees have limited resources to prevent it and few legal protections and privacy rights, particularly if they have signed an employment agreement consenting to the monitoring of their electronic activities. Only a handful of states, such as Delaware and Connecticut, require companies to notify employees when they collect electronic data.
Tracking tools function as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, some companies like them as a way to encourage productivity. They perceive tangible benefits in time management and workflow organization. The objectives are to:
- Encourage employees to produce regular results.
- Provide proof of time spent billing clients more precisely by tasks performed.
- Reduce the employer’s time and effort spent on time management.
- Help calculate time estimates for future projects.
On the other hand, this same sword has a potentially destructive edge. Surveillance can be highly demotivating for workers, who see it as a token of mistrust and interference. Employees who would like to be treated as adults participating in reasonable compromise resent the control of their minute-by-minute activities.
The bottom line? Work together. Management needs to treat workers like responsible adults and workers need to understand a certain amount of accountability is necessary. With discussion and compromise, it’s possible to reach a happy medium.
Original content by © IndustryNewsletters. All Rights Reserved. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.