Is your boss SPYING on you at work? Secretive monitoring software and devices to look out for

EVER wondered whether your boss is spying on you at work, using secretive monitoring software and devices?

According to data found through a recent study by StandOut CV, one in five companies are actively using (or intend to use) employee monitoring software.

AlamyMany devices do not make it clear whether tracking measures remain on during workers’ days off[/caption]

The figure is expected to grow, as organisations increasingly offer their employees either flexible or full-time remote working. 

The most commonly-used programs – some 95 per cent – are those tracking an employee’s time and activities at work, often through self-reporting or in the form of activity monitoring.

Another 75 per cent of monitors analysed provided a form of “activity and usage tracking”, while a large chunk of the top employee monitors were found to be taking screengrabs of employee desktops.

While many of the trackers suggest they are only active within set times or if triggered by a particular action, little more is typically known in this area.

Many devices do not make it clear whether the tracking measures remain on, should someone log onto their work device for personal use on days off.

While a common joke about working from home is the need to nudge one’s mouse or hit keys to “appear” to be working, the research claims that just over half – 59 per cent of employee monitors – collate and report on keyboard and mouse movements.

However, another 44 per cent do report on keystrokes.

Additionally to these “main” monitoring points, many of the top softwares analysed were found to collate and provide even more potentially invasive forms of productivity measures.

StandOut CV’s data claims almost 1 in 10 (9 per cent) of monitors can access your device’s microphone in order to audio record what goes on during calls.

And 22 per cent of monitoring and software tools analysed were able to access video and camera recordings. 

AlamyThe various monitoring softwares are often marketed as a way to raise general productivity and to stop employees “over-working”[/caption]

AlamyVideo conference software Zoom reportedly has an attention-tracking feature that can alert hosts if you look away during a meeting[/caption]

Even more worryingly, 47 per cent of the tools and software were found to enable employers to use “stealth modes”, preventing employees from seeing their presence on the devices. 

The software is often marketed as a way to raise general productivity and to stop employees “over-working”.

But unscrupulous employers can also hijack seemingly “safe” apps – like Slack – to spy on workers.

Video conference software Zoom has an attention-tracking feature that can alert hosts if you look away during a meeting, possibly because you’re not paying attention.

In a further encroachment on workers’ rights, Amazon last year created a new security camera system that helps bosses check if you’re wearing a face mask and following Covid rules in the office.

According to the TUC, artificial intelligence is increasingly playing a role in redundancy decisions.

Another concern comes into play with the transparency of location data – with nearly 1 in 5 (19 per cent) of the top employee monitoring software and devices recording and sharing GPS data. 

Andrew Fennell, Director at StandOut CV comments: “With working from home increasing in long term popularity, it is concerning that so many of the tools we analysed could provide employers and managers with private audio, visual and text-based information.”

“To keep people safe we’d recommend checking your employee handbook for information on the companies monitoring policies, to understand what they are (or aren’t) collecting.

Additionally, as a general rule based on the results of our analysis, people should look to separate their work from personal devices and personal use from work devices.”