- Owl Labs argues that tracking workers’ activities doesn’t show how they’re working
- 82% of workers believe employees should have to disclose the use of monitoring tools
- The biggest opportunity to improve productivity comes from upgrading hybrid meeting tech
New research has claimed almost three in five (59%) UK workers say their company is using monitoring software to track their activity both across basic attendance but also computer activity like mouse movements, keyboard usage and meeting participation.
And a further four in five (82%) believe that employers should have to disclose their use of monitoring software – something that’s not currently required by law.
But despite a rise in workplace monitoring software, likely driven by a surge in post-pandemic hybrid working, the report from Owl Labs argues that tracking doesn’t actually provide any meaningful insight into work at all.
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According to the data, the most commonly monitored activities are login/logout times (32%), number of meetings attended (22%), screen and mouse movement (17%) and keyboard usage (15%) – however, workers are already finding workaround to falsely appease tracking metrics.
For example, more than a quarter (28%) of UK workers admit so-called phantom meeting attendance, where they mark a meeting as ‘attended’ or even attend it without paying attention, and then catch up later via notes and summaries. It’s something that managers (33%) are more likely to do than non-managers (15%), the report found.
The study also pointed to an increase in AI avatar interest, with 50% of managers and 21% of non-managers considering using an avatar to attend meetings on their behalf – further making meeting attendance metrics less important.
Hybrid work’s impact on workplace tracking
Owl Labs also revealed some losses in efficiency as a result of hybrid working, but ironically, having workers placed across multiple locations isn’t the issue. It’s the tech they’re being handed out.
Around three in four (73%) UK workers reported losing time because of technical difficulties during hybrid meetings, with audio problems generally the most significant. Teams spend on average six minutes to get a hybrid meeting started.
The report implies that spending money on better AV tech to support hybrid meetings may create a better outcome than simply deploying software to see who’s attending those (suboptimal) meetings.
What does tracking software mean for workers?
Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt urges companies to be more transparent about what they’re tracking with their workers, helping improve trust between workers and higher up.
“With the Government reviewing how workplace monitoring should be regulated, now is the time for employers to be open about what they track and why,” Weishaupt added. “Trust and reliable technology are what keep people productive, and what keep them in the business.”
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Craig Hale
