Sneaky way your boss could be ‘monitoring’ you while working from home

An expert has revealed all the different ways Aussie bosses could be “tracking” their employees while they work from home.

Working from home has become popular because it gives employees the chance to have freedom and privacy – but does it?

That question is being asked increasingly after Aussie insurance worker Suzie Cheikho made headlines for being fired after her employer tracked her computer activity.

Ms Cheikho was on a performance plan when she was fired and her keystrokes were being monitored and were considered too low.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) rejected an unfair dismissal application brought by the former Insurance Australia Group (IAG) finding she was fired for a “valid reason of misconduct”.

Suzie lost her job. Picture: TikTok

One in five Aussies work from home. Picture: iStock

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How much your employer is really monitoring you when you work from home is a question that has no doubt crossed the minds of many Aussies over the past few years.

According to research from Finder, nearly one in five Aussies said their place of employment allows them to work remotely.

A separate Finder survey from 2022 found only a trivial number of Aussies (three per cent) don’t enjoy working from home.

Working from home is the new normal but it is still new and so the big question is how closely are workers being watched?

Associate director of advice and consultancy for Employsure Stephen Roebuck specialises in employment relations and he explained that in our digital times there are “many” ways that employers can monitor employees – and it isn’t just by how much work they are completing.

“Living in a digital world means that there are lots of software applications available to monitor employees, from activity trackers that monitor mouse movement to sign-in-out platforms that allow businesses to geolocate workers specific location,” he revealed.

The employment expert said that while the most common way employers are measuring employee performance is still by measuring old-fashioned “out-put,” that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions to the rule.

“Monitoring screen time is another way that employers monitor activity. Many companies can assess the time spent on various tasks, number of emails sent, and as well general log on and off times,” he said.

So, while you might think working from home means you have more freedom than ever, the reality is your employer could be watching you more closely on the days you aren’t physically at work.

Do you have privacy working from home? Picture: iStock

Of course, Mr Roebuck points out that the tactics employers can use to keep track of employees are dictated by law and vary in Australia, depending on where you live.

“Different states have varying restrictions on how employers can monitor employees under both privacy laws and workplace laws, which can still apply to employees working from home,” he said.

Considering the possibility that employees can be monitored, does that mean that quiet quitters and act your wage advocates are going to get caught out? Well, it isn’t that simple.

Generation Z have gone viral online for sharing different ways you can do less at work and how they’ve successfully pulled it off.

Mr Roebuck points out that most employers don’t need to introduce extra measures to find these people out. Just because your key strokes aren’t being counted doesn’t mean you are home and hosed.

Mr Roebuck points out that underperformers often “standout” and, if the workplace is healthy, it can be easily flagged.

“In many workplaces, despite what an employee thinks, it’s clear when underperformers stand out,” he said.

“It is not all numbers – there are usually other telltale signs that an employee has checked out including a change in levels of communication/collaboration, taking more time away from work and a lack of engagement with learning opportunities.”

Working from home is a huge trend. Picture: iStock

Mr Roebuck warned that just because you think you are currently getting away it that doesn’t mean your employer hasn’t noticed.

“It is quite possible that your manager knows that there is an issue but simply hasn’t approached you yet, so don’t make the mistake of thinking that it won’t be addressed in time.”

He added that he believes employers shouldn’t jump to spying techniques to call out a lax employee and instead be direct.

“Consider consulting with potentially affected staff before implementing solutions,” he advised.

Mr Roebuck warned that while sneaky measuring tactics might work for obtaining data but they can cause “breakdowns” in relationships between employers and employees.

“In an ideal world, a business could avoid the need for these measures by taking steps to set up a robust system for measuring performance based on work completed and by communicating with their staff openly and often about performance.”