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Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

bloomberg.com

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Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#241

Post by rodgerd »

austincheney wrote: post #80

Here is the key part of the article: > Straight-up Big Brother, perhaps, but it’s perfectly legal for businesses to keep an unblinking eye on employees as long as they disclose they’re doing it. It is the companies equipment, network (on their side of the VPN), time, and so forth. That being said it is legally fine so long as they disclose they are doing so. If they monitor in ways that have not been disclosed they r…

> It is the companies equipment, network (on their side of the VPN), time, and so forth. That being said it is legally fine so long as they disclose they are doing so.

Is the employee's house company property? Are the other people living there company property?

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#242

Post by blattimwind »

gambiting wrote: post #202
lima wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same in Germany, and it's not specific to IT equipment. You also cannot monitor employees using cameras.

Wait, so is CCTV in the office not allowed??

Wait, 100 % CCTV coverage of all corporate premises is not allowed in the EU? surprised free-est country of the world noises

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#243

Post by bmn__ »

VectorLock wrote: post #236
simias wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the EU there is. For instance the company can't normally access directories or emails clearly labelled as "private". Monitoring can occur but it's pretty tightly regulated. See for instance https://gdpr.report/news/2017/11/17/5383/ > * Employers can monitor employees’ emails at work but need to approach this with caution and careful consideration. > * Follow the ICO Code and 29 WP opinion, including conducting a D…

What is the legality of this? Is this just an "opinion" that a company covered by GDPR could choose to implement or not implement?

This has been part of labour protection laws all across Europe for decades.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#244

Post by closeparen »

downerending wrote: post #222
closeparen wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

University libraries are silent. Focus is the first-class activity; groups that want to work together must book a conference room or go to a dedicated collaboration floor. You might go with your friends for company, but you’re only going to speak on e.g. trips down from the workspace to the attached coffee shop. A “library rules” open office would be just fine. That’s not what happens, though. The point of an open of…

Ha. University library silence seems to be in serious decline these days. Not long ago I was in one I'd describe as a cocktail party atmosphere. My theory is that universities have become more desperate to ply their students with various perks and services, they're more reluctant to crack the whip on anything that smacks of discipline.

It was the other students who would take your head off, at my school anyway. Given that there were abundant collaboration-allowed spaces, talking on a quiet floor was seen as horribly rude.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#245

Post by Spooky23 »

jlarocco wrote: post #196
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if you don't, you generally don't get employed.

That's not true. I've been working in software for almost 20 years and have never had spyware like this installed on my PCs. I've worked for companies with over 70k employees, down to start ups with fewer than 100. Both in office and remote. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's definitely not normal, and I would personally never work under those conditions.

It's not normal to do screen capture, but internet logging and email/chat discovery are almost universal in a large company. Most financial companies will have forensic agents and inspect random emails.

Also, security tools are getting more sophisticated. As legacy AV gets replaced by next-gen stuff, there will be more creepy shit. If you have a tool like Crowdstrike, most developers will do stuff will get them flagged as high-risk.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#246

Post by capdeck »

lovich wrote: post #138
trhway wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'm surprised cubicles get so much hate. cubicles were a step down from individual offices, and was the manifestation of commoditization of the software engineering. The transition from cubicles to open offices was the part of that process going even further. Basically blue collar workers of 196x on a large factory floor. One would think that we've reached the peak of bad offices ... Well, i think some form of verti…

Its called hotdesking and there are definitely some startups selling solutions to organize this

I got to witness it first hand in a fairly large financial organization. It is first come, first served - i.e. early birds get nicer window seats and if you come late there is a chance you actually won't have a desk. If someone was eating at their desk yesterday you may get grimy, smelly keyboard and spots on the screen from them showing something on the monitor with dirty hands.

After a while you get to know that this spot - letter "E" and "Backspace" doesn't work, that spot - mouse right click doesn't work, third spot - second monitor flashes every 10min...

And then there is this constant "I don't belong here" feeling. Sure it is more "efficient" from the space and hardware utilization perspective. For call centers - I don't mind the setup, but good luck to you if you are planning to build software in such environment.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#247

Post by cookie_monsta »

lovich wrote: post #138
trhway wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'm surprised cubicles get so much hate. cubicles were a step down from individual offices, and was the manifestation of commoditization of the software engineering. The transition from cubicles to open offices was the part of that process going even further. Basically blue collar workers of 196x on a large factory floor. One would think that we've reached the peak of bad offices ... Well, i think some form of verti…

Its called hotdesking and there are definitely some startups selling solutions to organize this

Good lord, does there have to be a startup for everything? Enter office. See empty desk. Sit at desk. Work. Done.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#249

Post by sloppycee »

trhway wrote: post #81
spamizbad wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised cubicles get so much hate. I loved mine at my first job. Oodles of desk space. Locking drawers and cabinets. There was a chair in the corner so a guest could sit. Made it easy to have 2 meetings without disturbing people. less aesthetically pleasing in office photographs, but overall a much better work environment than any open plan I've experienced.

>I'm surprised cubicles get so much hate. cubicles were a step down from individual offices, and was the manifestation of commoditization of the software engineering. The transition from cubicles to open offices was the part of that process going even further. Basically blue collar workers of 196x on a large factory floor. One would think that we've reached the peak of bad offices ... Well, i think some form of verti…

Some companies are already doing the 'hot desking' thing.

In ~2017 I did a contract with Ericsson, in their offices they had no assigned desks. Some days you'd show up in the morning and find another team had moved into your space, claiming that some other team had taken theirs. In those days we became desk refugees, wandering halls to find/take a space large enough for the team.

Re: Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

#250

Post by kqr »

koheripbal wrote: post #199
cortesoft wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I think bosses who freak out about people not being productive while working from home underestimate how much people can avoid being productive while physically at work.

...at the same time - it can be pretty difficult to remain focused at home, especially if you also have kids at home because their schools are closed. I doubt my efficiency is approaching even 50% of what it was a month ago. Everyone is different.

Sure, but is spyware the thing that would change that for you? Or would you still be less productive only now also feel greater fear, further reducing your morale?
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