Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
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Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#2The more spy software a boss buys, the more insecure they really are about themselves.
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#3Mark Cuban got it right last week when he said that the way companies treat their employees over the next few months will define their brand for the next several decades. Companies insisting on this level of control are simply adding cost now and making employee retention difficult for when we end up coming out of this. If your company can't handle ground-level employees having some autonomy in their work, then your business model isn't likely to survive.
Besides, given the extraordinary circumstances I don't think it's fair to expect everyone to be equally productive to being in the office. In addition to the fact that some people just don't perform as well without the structure of an office (I'm personally one of them), we've got kids to take care of, extra chores to do, and the general anxiety coming from the media. People are not going to be 100% right now, so the need to build a work culture that can support that reality is more important now than ever.
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#4The more spy software a boss buys, the more insecure they really are about themselves.
Well its a good litmus to know where not to work. Better knowing with such a straight forward method.
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#5Two things:
Productivity is going to plunge no matter what, with the possible exception of singles who don’t have roommates. There is no way that during an ad hoc and unorganized push to work remote (though necessary in this circumstance) can result in good productivity, monitoring or not. Under the best of circumstances it would take months for a mass of people to adjust and be productive.
The apex for open office design was reached and we’ll go back to something more normal. It’s funny people derided “cubicle farms” but we’re more or less okay being in a “bullpen” like setting cuz it was sold as being counter cultural and cool.
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#6This happened to me years ago. I was put in an empty office at the opposite end from my boss, and because he couldn't walk up behind me to see me working, he secretly installed a program on my computer that took a screenshot every 30 seconds (or so?).
I quickly noticed that my computer was hitching regularly (when the screenshot was taken - this was in the late 90s BTW), and so investigated my computer on a day when he wasn't in the office.
After finding what looked like malware on my computer, I checked with other colleagues - and the other owner - and no one had any idea what it was.
So we put the office network on lockdown, halted everything and started the process of rotating all our passwords and scanning every computer in the office looking for signs of intrusion, etc..
We lost a solid day of productivity for everyone, and when we finally reached the other boss, he owned up to what he had done, and the other owner - who had spent the day in a panic - wasn't thrilled about it to say the least.
The irony was that I was probably the most productive person in that office (in my humble opinion).
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#7The more spy software a boss buys, the more insecure they really are about themselves.
Well its a good litmus to know where not to work. Better knowing with such a straight forward method.
With a quarter of the workforce furloughed or RIFed I’m not sure most people will have the option to be choosy.
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#8Two things: Productivity is going to plunge no matter what, with the possible exception of singles who don’t have roommates. There is no way that during an ad hoc and unorganized push to work remote (though necessary in this circumstance) can result in good productivity, monitoring or not. Under the best of circumstances it would take months for a mass of people to adjust and be productive. The apex for open office d…
Just the movement of people in my peripheral vision alone is distracting. Then there is the chatter and constant interruptions (which I welcome in a friendly way but deep down under I don't want to be interrupted).
Cubicles with a door would be great. The ceiling can be open and have sun light coming in. Maybe the walls should be white and there should be a lamp of my own (for notes).
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#9Two things: Productivity is going to plunge no matter what, with the possible exception of singles who don’t have roommates. There is no way that during an ad hoc and unorganized push to work remote (though necessary in this circumstance) can result in good productivity, monitoring or not. Under the best of circumstances it would take months for a mass of people to adjust and be productive. The apex for open office d…
I think less than 5% of comments on open-office design, that I have ever seen, were positive. Who are the people you are describing as being “sold”?
Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers
#10This happened to me years ago. I was put in an empty office at the opposite end from my boss, and because he couldn't walk up behind me to see me working, he secretly installed a program on my computer that took a screenshot every 30 seconds (or so?). I quickly noticed that my computer was hitching regularly (when the screenshot was taken - this was in the late 90s BTW), and so investigated my computer on a day when…
Where I live what he did is a fairly serious criminal offence.