Remote working has been a fulfilling dream for many employees. However, one of the unexpected outcomes has tarnished this work arrangement:ย increased work surveillance.ย
Mattel was among companies that caught flack for listing a remote-work only position that includedย theย caveat of โperiod unplanned visits from a supervisor during scheduled work shiftsโ and that the role would require a โclosed-door work area with no distractions of background noise (i.e.ย pets, children, machinery, music or talking).โย ย
This policy was controversial to say the least, and the company quickly dropped the description.ย
Although Mattel is one of just a few companies that have tried to introduce their own methods of tracking remote workers, remote workers haveย been unsatisfied with this form of virtual micromanaging.ย
โItโs unusual to be so prescriptive about what your home office is,โ said Maureen Ehrenberg, CEO of global facilities manager Blueย Skyr. โWhat you see more commonly is that if you couldnโt really do it from home, [companies] could work a different type of arrangement.โย
If companies are not confident that the position can be performed remotely in an efficient manner, it makes more sense to invest into a flexible or coworking space near their homes so workers can have a private, focused workspace.ย
However, some organizations haveย usedย surveillance software to review their employeesโ daily activities, such as their conversations on internal company communication channels, whether they are on non-work-relatedย websites, and more.ย
These tools existed pre-pandemic, especially among financial firms, which typically used this technology to protect workers from cyber attacks and ensure they were not leaking confidential information.ย
