With hybrid and remote work, security leaders have implemented ways to track employee productivity. Recent research by 1E analyzed the effect that this kind of monitoring had on employees. 

According to research, 79% of companies not already using these tools expected to implement them in the next three years. Though most employees surveyed already work for companies that use productivity surveillance technology, 73% of IT managers revealed they wouldn't be comfortable instructing their staff to deploy it — especially if the company is not being fully transparent. Further, more than a quarter of IT managers indicate an uptick in employees quitting (28%) and difficulty hiring new employees (27%) when these tools are in use.

More than half of IT workers (52%) acknowledging they would turn down an otherwise desirable position if they knew the company used employee productivity surveillance technology. Of those who are not currently at a company using productivity surveillance technology, three-quarters of IT workers say requiring them to deploy it to track other employees would negatively impact their willingness to remain in their current position. Thirty percent would begin actively applying for different jobs, and three percent would immediately quit. Furthermore, 2 in 5 IT workers say it would make them more open to other offers, making them an easy target for recruiters actively seeking to fill their open IT positions.

According to the survey, 72% of IT workers would help coworkers find workarounds for surveillance technology. With a third of IT managers viewing the technology as an invasion of privacy, the pushback will continue until leaders stop putting their mid-level leaders in sticky situations.

More than a quarter of IT workers (27%) would raise concerns with leadership before complying with a request to deploy such technology and monitor their colleagues, while 5 percent would outright refuse. Since surveillance tools were implemented within companies:

• 26% of IT workers saw a decrease in morale
• 30% of IT workers saw an increase in employee anxiety
• 28% of IT workers saw faster employee burnout

To learn more about these findings, please download the report here.