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Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

wsj.com

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Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#11

Post by bobbydreamer »

Mostly all issues happen at the top of the hierarchy which is enough to dissolve the company like insider trading, giving a hint to client but those people will never be logged. Mostly I feel it's ok. If a employer is doing it basically means couple of things 1. He is helping a startup and loading them test cases. 2. Well he has some computing power but nothing big to process or analyse so he is throwing it away.

Just asking would anyone be okay if a banking app asks for a selfie or takes a photo of you when you are performing a transaction via mobile, just to know that transaction is valid.

Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#13

Post by quicklime »

tanilama wrote: post #7

If it is the computer that owned by the employer, then it is their property, they put all kinds of spyware there, nothing news worthy

I've never really understood why people think this line of reasoning is valid. Prior to the panedemic, I used the bathrooms at the office nearly every day. The toilets are undoubtedly their property, but is it ok for them to put whatever kind of spyware they want in there too?

Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#14

Post by krzyk »

tanilama wrote: post #7

If it is the computer that owned by the employer, then it is their property, they put all kinds of spyware there, nothing news worthy

But they way you do your job is private, think of it as intellectual property, your know-how, your tricks. In EU this would probably be not allowed.

E. G. in Poland it is not allowed to record how teachers teach as it is their IP.

Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#16

Post by codesuela »

dessant wrote: post #12

This [1] is a good read on what you can expect as remote work becomes widespread in a competitive job market. [1] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/upwork...

This seems pretty easy to game for a software engineer:

1. Write code for the project and record mouse clicks and keystrokes

2. Replay keystrokes at .5 speed inside a mirrored VM

a more sophisticated tool could also vary speed and add typos.

Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#17

Post by benjohnson »

As a company owner, I've resisted the temptation to do this. We did make it easy for our employees to behave themselves by making it very easy to 'clock in' and 'clock out.'

I told everybody that this is a time to be close to family - if your child wants to play ball in the middle of the day, then go ahead! Just clock out before you do. Get your 8 hours in and document your work.

Thankfully everybody has responded well - I have one employee than needs me to randomly call them to keep then honest, but he's a good guy and I think is struggling with a bit of depression. He likes to be called and he likes our chats.

Re: Employers who use software to take screenshots of workers’ computers

#18

Post by vyrotek »

krzyk wrote: post #14
tanilama wrote: post #7

If it is the computer that owned by the employer, then it is their property, they put all kinds of spyware there, nothing news worthy

But they way you do your job is private, think of it as intellectual property, your know-how, your tricks. In EU this would probably be not allowed. E. G. in Poland it is not allowed to record how teachers teach as it is their IP.

Definitely not like this in the US.

Usually some of paperwork you sign when joining a large company are agreements that the company practically owns anything you do/invent/think while employed.

Basically assume it's all their IP unless you have an agreement stating otherwise.

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