Vast majority of remote businesses use software to monitor web browsers and apps, block content, watch employees on live video feeds, and more

Additionally, nearly 4 in 10 companies require employees to be on camera all day. Of this group, 93 percent say their live video feeds are monitored. These company monitoring practices have affected attrition.

ResumeBuilder.com, the premier resource for professional resume templates and career advice, has published a recent survey report that investigates the prevalence of employee monitoring among remote or hybrid companies. The report also shares insight into how monitoring has impacted productivity and attrition. Researchers analyzed responses from 1,000 business leaders in the United States.

Based on the results of the survey, 96 percent of respondents say their company utilizes employee monitoring software. While only 10 percent of remote companies say they started monitoring employees prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 37 percent say they started during the first year of the pandemic, 34 percent say the second year of the pandemic, and 20 percent say this past year. Ninety-seven percent of respondents ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’ believe that implementing monitoring software has increased employee productivity.

Respondents indicate that their companies use monitoring software in several ways. Sixty-two percent say their company monitors ‘web browsing and app use,’ and 49 percent say their company blocks ‘content and apps.’ Additionally, nearly 4 in 10 companies require employees to be on camera all day. Of this group, 93 percent say their live video feeds are monitored. These company monitoring practices have affected attrition, with 7 in 10 respondents saying that employees have quit because they did not want to be monitored. Furthermore, 3 in 4 companies say they have fired employees based on data collected from their monitoring software.

Like remote or hybrid employees, those who work in-person are typically subject to monitoring, as 85 percent of companies say in-person employees are also monitored. According to data gathered from monitoring software, 1 in 3 companies say employees spend an average of two hours each day on non-work activities, such as visiting websites or social media for personal use. Furthermore, 1 in 3 companies say their employees spend an average of three or more hours on non-work activities.

This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish from March 15-16, 2023. In total, 1,000 participants in the United States completed the full survey. All participants passed through demographic filters to ensure they were currently employed for wages, worked at a company with at least two employees, had an annual household income of at least $50,000, and were at least 25 years old. Additionally, respondents identified their company role as either a C-level executive, HR manager, President/CEO/Chairperson, owner, or partner. Respondents also went through a primary screening to include only companies with at least 50 percent of their workforce working remotely the majority of the time, and a secondary screening to ask if they use monitoring software for remote workers.

To view the complete report, please visit https://www.resumebuilder.com/1-in-3-remote-employers-are-watching-you-work-from-home-on-camera/.