‘It takes screenshots every 10 minutes’: Employee shocked by new office software

A recent graduate revealed his employer's invasive time-tracking software that monitors his online activity and records screens every 10 minutes.

A recent college graduate says his employer has installed an invasive time-tracking software on his laptop that keeps track of the websites he visits, monitors keystrokes, and even records his screen every 10 minutes.

An employee's post about productivity tracking software sparked outrage on TikTok (Representational image/Unsplash)

Tim Lee took to TikTok to talk about the software, which he described as “pretty dystopian”. In his now-viral video, he said he understood why his company had decided to implement the software but worried about its larger implications on workplace productivity and tracking.

“So I work from home, and my employer just started time tracking. So it takes screenshots every 10 minutes or so, tracks my mouse activity, my keyboard activity, the URLs I visit, and what percentage of time I spend on doing whatever,” Lee explained in his TikTok video, which has collected over 6 lakh views.

The Gen Z employee said the software would not change the way he works, and even claimed he “gets it” from the business owner’s perspective. However, it did make him wonder about how productivity is measured for remote employees.

TikTok horrified

Reactions to the video were largely horrified. Some suggested that employers are tracking workflow so human employees can eventually be replaced by AI. Others asked Lee to name and shame his company.

“Wild. I’d instantly quit,” wrote one viewer. “This is more stressful than the office!” another said.

“Companies that focus on minutes instead of output can’t succeed. That’s a huge sign of incompetent leadership,” a TikTok user declared.

Several people agreed that Lee’s case sounded like one of “extreme micromanagement”.