Employers use various technologies to digitally monitor worker productivity, a practice that has ... [+]
Wells Fargo fired over a dozen employees last month after an internal investigation revealed workers were engaged in alleged unethical workplace practices “involving simulation of keyboard activity creating impression of active work,” according to a filing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
The terminated employees worked in the firm's wealth and investment management division, Bloomberg reported. The regulatory disclosures did not indicate the total number of staff that received disciplinary action, as well as their work arrangements.
"Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behavior," a company spokesperson told Bloomberg.
This is not the first time the third biggest bank in the United States’ employees have come under scrutiny. In 2016, Wells Fargo was found to have opened millions of unauthorized savings and checking accounts for existing customers to meet sales goals, after claims that its executives pressured rank-and-file bank personnel to aggressively cross-sell products to enhance sales and revenue to meet certain quotas.
The firm agreed to pay $3 billion to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle its long-running civil and criminal probes into its fraudulent sales practices.
Wells Fargo’s recent discovery of employees faking work was uncovered before FINRA’s new edict went into effect on June 1, ordering broker-dealers to conduct and document a risk assessment and provide the regulator with a list of “residential supervisory locations” on a quarterly basis. Home offices of remote workers are required to be registered and inspected every three years under FINRA’s new pilot program.
Mouse Jiggling And Other Dishonest Practices
The Wells Fargo firings call attention to the ongoing tensions surrounding remote work and employee surveillance, as employers aim to ensure productivity while workers seek flexibility.
The concept of misrepresenting active work was recently in the spotlight after a May survey by Harris Poll revealed that nearly 40% of Millennial workers said they take time off without formally communicating it to their manager, in a trend called “quiet vacationing.”
Employees admitted to partaking in office workarounds, such as periodically moving their computer mouse to appear active, as well as scheduling messages to be sent outside of normal business hours to maintain the impression that they are going above and beyond by working overtime.
As remote work soared during the pandemic, employees turned toward the use of "mouse jigglers" to give the appearance of being active on their computers. Without direct oversight from managers, these deceptive gadgets automatically move a mouse’s cursor at intervals, tricking employee monitoring software into registering the worker as engaged and productive.
The proliferation of mouse jigglers has allowed remote employees to step away from their desks while maintaining the illusion of diligently working.
Other trends where staff try to pull one over on employers by circumventing work include quiet quitting, Bare Minimum Mondays and other TikTok-influenced workplace hacks.
How Companies Are Monitoring Workers
Employers use various technologies to digitally monitor worker productivity, a practice that has become increasingly common in white-collar roles, according to an investigation by the New York Times in 2022.
“Many employees, whether working remotely or in person, are subject to trackers, scores, ‘idle’ buttons, or just quiet, constantly accumulating records,” the NYT report stated.
Companies are actively deploying activity-tracking software that monitors employees’ keystrokes, mouse movements and application usage to gauge productivity. They restrict access to certain websites unrelated to work on company-owned devices and networks.
Additionally, organizations monitor work email content for compliance or productivity purposes. They track login and logout times to oversee employees’ hours worked. Some employers may even monitor workers through webcams, though regulations and ethical considerations may limit this. These intrusive products are derisively referred to as “tattleware” or “bossware.”
Large investment bank Barclays was previously probed by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the United Kingdom watchdog that deals with data privacy and protection, over allegations of spying on employees. In 2017, the British firm received backlash after implementing OccupEye, a system that tracked how long workers spent at their desks.
A spokesperson for the ICO stated at the time that staff are “entitled to a degree of privacy in the workplace." The regulator added, "If organizations wish to monitor their employees, they should be clear about its purpose and that it brings real benefits. Organizations also need to make employees aware of the nature, extent and reasons for any monitoring."
How Employers Can Discourage Fake Work
As bosses resort to deploying invasive surveillance measures to ensure employee productivity, they may be unknowingly driving their workforce to engage in dishonest practices, such as quiet vacationing or using a mouse jiggler.
To cut down on phantom work, employers should clearly communicate the company's policies regarding dishonesty in the workplace and the consequences of these actions.
It is essential for managers to understand why employees feel the need to use mouse jigglers or lie, such as setting unrealistic productivity expectations, implementing heavy-handed edicts that fail to promote flexibility and a culture that disincentivizes work-life balance. By identifying the underlying reasons and addressing the root causes, organizations can foster a more positive and transparent work environment.
Leaders should encourage open communication between employees and management, where workers can feel safe sharing their concerns and feedback regarding productivity tracking methods, and work together to find mutually beneficial solutions that balance monitoring needs with employee privacy and well-being.
