Along with InterGuard, software makers include Time Doctor, Teramind, VeriClock, innerActiv, ActivTrak and Hubstaff. All provide a combination of screen monitoring and productivity metrics, such as number of emails sent, to reassure managers that their charges are doing their jobs.
ActivTrak’s inbound requests have tripled in recent weeks, according to CEO Rita Selvaggi. Teramind has seen a similar increase, said Eli Sutton, vice president of global operations. Jim Mazotas, innerActive’s founder, said phones have been ringing off the hook.
Managers using InterGuard’s software can be notified if an employee does a combination of worrisome behaviors, such as printing both a confidential client list and a resume, an indication that someone is quitting and taking their book of business with them.
“It’s not because of lack of trust,” Miller said, who compared the software to banks using security cameras. “It’s because it’s imprudent not to do it.”
The software can also be a way for employers to grant more flexibility to workers to fit their jobs around other parts of their lives. It may also let managers spot areas that are overstaffed or where they may need additional hands.
“I can honestly say, as a Hubstaff user, that I actually like the monitoring and productivity features. I promise,” said Courtney Cavey, the firm’s chief marketing officer. “So my personal advice is to use it as an advantage, as a way to prove to your manager that you’re capable of working autonomously.”
Hubstaff allows users to view their activity range and aim to beat it, Cavey said. Most monitoring can be customized, so not all employees are tracked in the same way.
Employers go too far if their monitoring software remains active outside work hours, according to Stacy Hawkins, a professor at Rutgers Law School.
Workers air their grievances on forums such as CodeAhoy, presumably using devices not being watched by their bosses.
“I’ve heard from multiple people whose employers have asked them to stay logged into a video call all day while they work,” said Alison Green, founder of the workplace-advice website Ask a Manager. “In some cases, they’re told it’s so they can all talk throughout the day if questions come up, but in others, there’s no pretense that it’s for anything other than monitoring people to ensure they’re working.”