How To Know If Your Job Is Monitoring Your Remote Productivity
From Screenshots To Secret Recordings—The Shady Ways Your Boss Might Be Watching You
If you’re working remotely using a company-issued computer, you may want to think twice about slacking off. Many businesses use productivity apps with built-in time-tracking features, or even standalone tracking tools, to keep an eye on employees’ work hours. In some flexible work environments, employers let remote teams track their time at their own pace. However, some employers take advantage of these apps to monitor employees closely while they’re logged in. This can include tracking everything from keystrokes and website activity to monitoring chats and app usage, according to Virtual Vocations, an independent company revolutionizing the way employees find remote work.
Some apps even have built-in features like distraction alerts, real-time screenshots, and recordings of what employees are doing on their devices. Ideally, employers should make it clear to their teams when such monitoring is happening, but some managers either fail to inform their employees or intentionally keep them in the dark.
If you think you’re being tracked, here are some key signs to look out for.
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1. Check for unknown or suspicious programs installed on your computer
If your company provided your work computer, there’s a good chance it’s being monitored. Employers often install monitoring software or device mirroring programs to track your computer activity. To check, go into your computer’s settings, look at the installed programs, and remove anything you didn’t personally install or anything that seems suspicious, Virtual Vocations notes. This is especially common with remote desktop applications, which allow one computer to access another remotely using a unique code—sometimes without requiring permission or a password.
If you’re an administrator on the computer, to check for suspicious activity, open the Command Line, and run the command netstat -b -n, according to workforce analytics company, Insightful.io. This command can show you which apps are sending data online, assuming the monitoring software is transmitting activity logs. However, this can be tricky, as skilled IT admins can also hide these transfers, making them harder to detect, especially if you’re on a local network.
Another way to check is by opening the Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del for Windows or Cmd + Space for Mac, then search for Activity Monitor). Look for unusual processes running in the background. If you find any unfamiliar apps, research them online to determine if they’re spying tools.
2. If your computer is running slow, it might be a red flag
If your computer is running slow, it could be due to too many background apps, browser tabs, low storage, or even malware. If you’ve addressed these issues and the slowdown persists, take a closer look at the apps running in the background. Open Task Manager again, (or Activity Monitor on Mac) and close any unfamiliar or suspicious apps. This should improve your computer’s performance and potentially stop any hidden surveillance software.
3. Consider downloading free tracking monitors or anti-spyware
Alternatively, employee monitoring company Kickidler suggests using free traffic monitoring software, like Glasswire, to track all outgoing traffic from your computer. This can help you spot potential monitoring apps by showing which data is being sent out.
However, the effectiveness of this method depends on how the tracking tools operate. Some monitoring tools send data continuously, which is easier to detect, while others only upload data at specific intervals, making them harder to spot consistently. Another challenge is that employees may need administrator privileges to install such software, which many may not have.
If you do have access, it might be worth downloading anti-spyware or antivirus software, like Emsisoft Emergency Kit, to detect any trackers on your computer, Kickidler notes. While standard corporate antivirus software might not detect monitoring programs (since admins often label them as exceptions), a specialized tool can help you identify and remove these threats.
4. If your webcame remains active, it may be a sign you’re being tracked
Per Virtual Vocations, typically, when your webcam is active, a light next to it will turn on. If this light turns on during work without your consent, it’s a clear warning that your camera may be recording you without your awareness.
Is this legal?
This raises a crucial question: is it even legal for employers to monitor employees in this manner? And how can you know you’re being watched if your employer hasn’t informed you? According to LegalZoom, it is legal for an employer to monitor employees through a company-provided device, such as a laptop or cell phone, including using the device’s webcam. However, monitoring an employee through a personal device in this way is illegal. The key difference lies in whether the device is company-owned or personal.
To address any legal or digital privacy concerns, Enid Zhou from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a nonprofit based in D.C., advises employees to check if their employer is using software to track productivity and to avoid handling sensitive or personal matters on their work computer.
“Having notice is the most important thing,” Zhou told LegalZoom. “[As well as] knowing exactly who has access to your information and choosing platforms where your employer doesn’t have that [access].”
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