Tech innovation has done a lot to make the life of the average worker easier than might have been the case otherwise, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it has also given management more ways to monitor workers and spy on them. Most major organizations new use a wide range of productivity monitoring software because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up allowing them to keep a close eye on all employees.
Many workers understandably consider this to be a violation of their right to privacy, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that a veritable industry of devices has sprung up that is meant to help workers bypass employer monitoring. One such device is a mouse jiggler (the one we found is from Vaydeer), and the way it works is that it moves your mouse around even when you are inactive.
This keeps your screen on, and since most productivity monitoring software doesn’t do anything beyond checking to see if the screen is active this might do the trick. However, many are criticizing the surveillance practices that are making workers resort to such measures in the first place.
Around 80% of firms in the US now use software to monitor employees, and this is something that needs to change with all things having been considered and taken into account. Corporations should at least level with their workers and tell them when and where productivity monitoring will be done. Transparency is key here, since studies have shown that workers are 70% more likely to accept this monitoring if this is done.
We are living in a brave new world where someone or the other is always watching, and it can be hard to maintain privacy in such an environment. Major companies need to realize that micromanaging their workers will not bear any fruit. The most profitable companies in the world usually give their employees tasks and judge them on results and delivery rather than their day to day routines, and other companies should adopt such an approach too.
Read next: The History of Meme Culture in the 2010s
Many workers understandably consider this to be a violation of their right to privacy, and with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that a veritable industry of devices has sprung up that is meant to help workers bypass employer monitoring. One such device is a mouse jiggler (the one we found is from Vaydeer), and the way it works is that it moves your mouse around even when you are inactive.
This keeps your screen on, and since most productivity monitoring software doesn’t do anything beyond checking to see if the screen is active this might do the trick. However, many are criticizing the surveillance practices that are making workers resort to such measures in the first place.
Around 80% of firms in the US now use software to monitor employees, and this is something that needs to change with all things having been considered and taken into account. Corporations should at least level with their workers and tell them when and where productivity monitoring will be done. Transparency is key here, since studies have shown that workers are 70% more likely to accept this monitoring if this is done.
We are living in a brave new world where someone or the other is always watching, and it can be hard to maintain privacy in such an environment. Major companies need to realize that micromanaging their workers will not bear any fruit. The most profitable companies in the world usually give their employees tasks and judge them on results and delivery rather than their day to day routines, and other companies should adopt such an approach too.
Read next: The History of Meme Culture in the 2010s
