My employer will be installing tracking software on my company owned laptop; the system will track every keystroke, meeting, skype chats, email, etc. The company line is "this will allow individuals to improve their work patterns and optimise their work-life balance" and "managers can guide their team to focus appropriately on key activities and projects".
I'm not drinking the kool-aid; imo, they want to scare ppl into working harder. I'm quite aggravated at this point, I've been with my employer for 7+ years and my reportees and myself all earn 6 figures; we're professionals who are serious about their jobs. Its gotten to the point where I'm considering to explore other employment opportunities because of this issue.
And this has nothing to do with how folks use company equipment, myself and all my reportees have their own machines they use for personal use.
Anyone have experience with this type of thing? Am I over exaggerating?
One year when i worked at EMC, they started to ban fantasy football websites. If you accessed one you get a message on your screen saying gambling and gambling activities are prevented on work computers and HR might contact me (the laptop user) with additional information/punishment.
out of the blue this began happening.
it lasted two weeks until some executive couldn't set his lineup at work.
This might be the case with you too.
It wouldn't make me leave the company, but I'm always open to new opportunities. in any case I work from home with two laptops - a work laptop and a home laptop on my desk and access nothing but work stuff on my work laptop anyway.
That was my first thought; but I don't think its the case. There isn't a need to rollout software, with email announcements and multiple company wide training sessions if they wanted to catch folks surfing the internet during work hours.
And yes, I work from home and have the same two laptop setup you have; one for work and the other for non-work.
I think the communications were so it didn't seem sneaky and create a worse morale issue.
at least if they're upfront about it, people know its coming and don't get blindsided if they questioned about something.
I think its simply way for them to get more work at of the staff they have, to increase the company's value while looking to sell. They might have well said "we're going to know what you do every minute of the day so make sure you're working". Its one thing to make sure folks don't surf the internet on company resources; its another to track what they do every minute of the day. Because what this software will track is if you haven't entered a keystroke in x minutes / hours.
The aggravating thing is, the company has already been bleeding employees dry the last few years. Limited pay raises, not backfilling for employees that leave yet not cutting back on the amount of work, decreased benefits. The problem is they can do it, and they know they can, bc job opportunities are few and far between these days
So that we could feel bad for him
This isn't a case of a bartender being observed to ensure that drinks aren't being improperly rung up, or perhaps the hourly employee that uses aggressive discretion when inputting their time-sheet figures, rather it's a professional that you'd would be trusted by their company based upon their compensation. Now, I could see faults to the logic that these folks should be exempt or cynical towards tracking/monitoring but I did interpret the OP's argument to be to that point.
Well, in my opinion, on BBI you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. I know someone would ask why i included it, but if i didn't someone would have likely replied with "if you're a teenager working the night shift then you probably need someone looking over you".
I respect my employer: when i get home at 1am from a business trip bc I took a late flight to save the company a few dollars; I was ok with it. When I drive an extra 2.5 hrs to a different airport to save a few dollars on airfare; i was ok with it. When they replaced my 7 year old laptop with a 2 year old laptop; I was ok with it. When the company couldn't make payroll and delayed paychecks by 2 weeks; I was ok with it. The fact is my colleagues and I are professionals at a high level, and with that should come a certain level of respect, imo.
If management sees you're work 'far exceeding' your colleagues, should they request / demand you to work harder and produce more? And if so, will they compensate you accordingly . . . I tend to doubt it.
Given what you've posted, it would seem your best option is move on to something new. Or voice your points to someone above you, if you feel you can. Make no mistake, these types of electronic policies are being created by many companies.
I'm all like "guys, when you're paying $10k/hour, these bitches should come to you." I mean, am I right?
One guy claims you can only get Cuban midgets in Miami, but that's not GS's fault, is it?
these sound like the reasons you should leave your job ..
not the tracking software ...
honestly i would not have agreed to any of these request - unless i had a financial stake in the company
I have no expectation of privacy when using my employers electronic devices so I don't use them for personal activities.
its really not all that hard to understand.
That all being said, I think that was the OPs employer is doing is about more than keeping employees from performing non-work tasks on their work computers. I think that his employer is trying to supervise productivity. If I were the OP I would start looking for another job.
Just my two cents.
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did you feel the need to tell us that you make 6 figures?
Well, in my opinion, on BBI you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. I know someone would ask why i included it, but if i didn't someone would have likely replied with "if you're a teenager working the night shift then you probably need someone looking over you".
I respect my employer: when i get home at 1am from a business trip bc I took a late flight to save the company a few dollars; I was ok with it. When I drive an extra 2.5 hrs to a different airport to save a few dollars on airfare; i was ok with it. When they replaced my 7 year old laptop with a 2 year old laptop; I was ok with it. When the company couldn't make payroll and delayed paychecks by 2 weeks; I was ok with it. The fact is my colleagues and I are professionals at a high level, and with that should come a certain level of respect, imo.
If management sees you're work 'far exceeding' your colleagues, should they request / demand you to work harder and produce more? And if so, will they compensate you accordingly . . . I tend to doubt it.
A reasonable explanation. My fault for coming off the way I did in my post.
However if someone is paid based on working set hours at a place of business I don't really see a problem with it even though I can understand why the employees wouldn't like it. If a company is paying someone for specific hours of work it is reasonable for them to expect and even go to efforts to ensure they are getting exactly that. A employee spending hours online visiting sites not work related is cheating their employer out of that time.
Plenty of idiots make 6 figures.
A lot more needs to be disclosed to make and educated response one way or another.
You have to decide if you can accept this without it having a negative effect on you or cause a growing resentment or yes think about looking elsewhere. IMO regardless of how well I was compensated if I couldn't accept something in the way I was treated I walked. I was always a 100% all in type of employee and respected that if I worked for someone they got to set the rules. In the very rare occasions where I felt I couldn't accept how I was being treated or work enthusiastically within their guidelines I left immediately.
I have no expectation of privacy when using my employers electronic devices so I don't use them for personal activities.
its really not all that hard to understand.
That all being said, I think that was the OPs employer is doing is about more than keeping employees from performing non-work tasks on their work computers. I think that his employer is trying to supervise productivity. If I were the OP I would start looking for another job.
Just my two cents.
I have to agree with hammer here. I work at a large investment bank. All of my phone calls on work lines are recorded. Including if the wife calls. My work laptop has my activity as well as instant messages recorded. I don't work in the front office and don't execute trades, but I accept it. I don't have any expectation of privacy. My personal cell phone is what I use to surf Internet or text coworkers when we are pissed off about something.
However if someone is paid based on working set hours at a place of business I don't really see a problem with it even though I can understand why the employees wouldn't like it. If a company is paying someone for specific hours of work it is reasonable for them to expect and even go to efforts to ensure they are getting exactly that. A employee spending hours online visiting sites not work related is cheating their employer out of that time.
This employer may be making a very common mistake, equating time spent looking busy with actual production. Production crosses all boundaries, whether hourly or salaried, and is the universal measuring stick that can be applied to virtually all work situations.
As a contractor/consultant, I work on a strictly hourly basis, with every minute charged at the agreed-upon rate.
However, it's my productivity that shows whether I've been screwing the pooch or not.
All these kinds of actions (i.e., the tracking software referenced above) do is cause unrest, resentment and, in extreme cases, job flight.
You sound like you are good at what you do, surely you wouldn't argue that you couldn't get more done working diligently for six hours instead of just four.
Now if your point is that you feel you could get as much or more done in four than most others in six would that still be good reason to goof off and cheat them of two hours of paid time that you should be working? Instead work hard for the hours you are paid to work and make yourself even more valuable to them.
As someone else pointed out, the other nickle and dime stuff would be more than I would tolerate from an employer.
Also, the policy isn't very good because most folks have smart phones and tablets which they can use during the workday. Why offend your employees with a heavy handed policy that's also easily subverted?
I'd look around for something better.
You sound like you are good at what you do, surely you wouldn't argue that you couldn't get more done working diligently for six hours instead of just four.
Now if your point is that you feel you could get as much or more done in four than most others in six would that still be good reason to goof off and cheat them of two hours of paid time that you should be working? Instead work hard for the hours you are paid to work and make yourself even more valuable to them.
You've missed my point entirely. Perhaps I didn't state it clearly?
My point refers exactly to what you wrongly assumed from my post, that I don't "work" all the hours for which I bill. That is untrue, and it has exactly zero to do with my message.
The point is, quite simply, that basing value simply on time spent is a waste. It's productivity that counts, and only productivity. However long it takes to provide that productivity is just not germane. When one focuses on time spent, productivity inevitably goes down. When one focuses on getting the job at hand done, productivity inevitably rises.
I grew up immersed in the "time-clock" culture, and the one great illumination I took away from it is that it really doesn't work very well.
Your point that "surely you wouldn't argue that you couldn't get more done working diligently for six hours instead of just four" has no basis in reality. There really is no set duration for any level of productivity.
Four hours of concentrated work will generally produce a much higher level of productivity that a longer period. Maintaining such high levels of concentration and action cannot be set within artificial boundaries, such as a set, incremented work period.
The same sort of thinking affects remote working strategies which consistently provide much higher levels of productivity with the bonus of higher worker satisfaction. But the proponents of the old "you're paid to do 8 hours of work and I don't trust you to work all 8 hours without my being able to see it" scotch that opportunity for many people.
To boil it all down, just what does "8 hours of work" mean? What does it equate to in real terms? How do you measure what makes one's day worth the pay? It sure as hell isn't the 8 hours; it's the work that was produced. If the work expectations are met or exceeded, then it doesn't really matter a damn how little or how much time was spent, now does it?
I agree and that was my point in that a person should just roll up his sleeves and be as productive as he can be while being paid.
Of course every person is different in how long they can be productive for, but if I could only work for four hours at the level I expect of myself I would charge a higher rate and only work those hours instead of working hard for four and milking someone for extra. Increase your value and reputation.
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As a contractor/consultant, I work on a strictly hourly basis
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When one focuses on time spent, productivity inevitably goes down. When one focuses on getting the job at hand done, productivity inevitably rises
I agree and that was my point in that a person should just roll up his sleeves and be as productive as he can be while being paid.
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Four hours of concentrated work will generally produce a much higher level of productivity that a longer period. Maintaining such high levels of concentration and action cannot be set within artificial boundaries, such as a set, incremented work period.
Of course every person is different in how long they can be productive for, but if I could only work for four hours at the level I expect of myself I would charge a higher rate and only work those hours instead of working hard for four and milking someone for extra. Increase your value and reputation.
Hourly charge is at the request of the contractee.The only thing that hours are there for is to help the client estimate costs and set a regular outflow of funds. For the contractor, it sets a reliable payment amount at set time periods. Other than as a simple estimating metric and payment schedule, hourly time is meaningless.
Also, I vastly resent your use of such terms as "milking" and the implication that productivity is limited to time spent. You say "charge more for less hours and build your brand." You just don't have clue one here. Raising your rate will garner you less work, not more. Working shorter hours for a higher rate makes you suspect in the eyes of the client.
You're still stuck on a hourly benchmark. Until you recognize that that benchmark is absolutely meaningless as far as what your client/boss gets for their money/what you earn, then we really have nothing to discuss.
Most jobs are predicated around a set amount of hours, generally based on the client's estimate and what they think the work is worth. As long as you bring in the work within that set base of hours, and meet any imposed deadlines, the client could care less what actual "worked" hours are.
As contractor, you make yourself available for those hours and perform whatever tasks come across your desk. That's it, period. The client is paying to have you available to perform tasks as needed to move the project along.
And in this very real sense, every worker, whether salaried or hourly, is contracting their time to satisfy the client's needs. It's up to those "employees" to best fit their skills and time into meeting those needs. One gains little to nothing by sacrificing all at the alter of the time clock.
Moved cross country, took a year off work, then got killed by the bad economy.
Took a corporate, temporary per hour job in 2010. Consistently got my duties fulfilled in 6-ish hours per day.
Company wasn't happy when I started punching out and going home upon completion of my tasks. Didn't matter that I had no work. They wanted me to sit at my desk until the salaried people left at 5:30.
Corporations don't only want you to be productive. They also want your subserviance. Suck from the corporate test and your life is not your own.
The milking comment was meant in general not directed towards you. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.
Do your job, do not seek praise. Let your work speak for itself. Let them track what you do, they will see your work ethic reflected in the tracking software.
Do not let your pride get in the way. Be humble.
Good luck
It's so much more rewarding, in so many ways. Don't worry about any miscommunications, either. It can be difficult to be absolutely clear in this format.
Oh, by the way, Goober says Hey!
Do your job, do not seek praise. Let your work speak for itself. Let them track what you do, they will see your work ethic reflected in the tracking software.
Do not let your pride get in the way. Be humble.
Good luck
Fuck humble; be proud of your abilities and always be open to new opportunities. All humble ever got anyone was a case of the boils. Ask Job!