News

Well this clearly is a matter of bosses needing to get better at their jobs. To which they reply

Subject: Mandatory Implementation: Workplace Monitoring Measures

Dear Team,

In our continued efforts to ensure optimal productivity and discipline across all sectors of our organization, 
we are implementing new, non-negotiable monitoring protocols.

Effective from NOW:

   - 24-hour Webcam Surveillance: All company workstations will be equipped with webcams that will remain enabled at all times. 
    This is a non-negotiable measure to ensure the utmost accountability and discipline. Non-compliance or any attempts to tamper 
    with, disable, or obstruct the webcam will result in immediate disciplinary action.

    - Blood Pressure Monitors: All team members will be required to wear mandatory blood pressure monitors during work hours. This is
    to ensure that every member is operating at peak efficiency. Inconsistent readings or failure to wear the device will be flagged.

Your adherence to these measures is not a choice; it's a requirement. You were chosen to be a part of this team because of your talents and abilities, and it is expected that you will comply with all company protocols.

Any questions, concerns, or objections should be kept to oneself as they will not alter the company's decision 
in implementing these measures.

Let this serve as a reminder that productivity and discipline are the cornerstones of our success. Non-compliance 
will be dealt with swiftly.

Your immediate and unerring compliance is expected.

Regards,

Mr. BossMan

So their own job has no value. Got it.

I've been remote since 2019. It's great!

Is the work getting completed? Then you don't really need to monitor them.

What KPI's could you be measuring by hovering over someone's shoulder while they work? Their APM?

We can't tell you off for taking a moment to look at your phone or for wearing headphones unless you are in the office; this is how we justify our positions.. so despite the economic, environmental and quality of life improvements we are demanding you return so we can continue to justify our pay and position.

Also fuck you, and get in your cubicle bitch

But the biggest disadvantage of remote work that employers cite is how difficult it is to observe and monitor employees

I'm sure these employers hire external contractors. Do they insist on observing and monitoring those contractors? Are they going to insist their contracotr's employees be active on Teams at all times?

I hate the idea that if working from home for an employer is somehow different from working as a freelancer from home.

Pre-pandemic, bosses relied on desk visits and peer monitoring, which occurs when co-workers notice and comment on each other’s work, to keep employees on track in the office, and there is no clear replacement for them in a remote setting, Pollak explains.

Again: If they hired a contractor, would they want to "drop by their desk" to comment on their work? Why do they insist on treating employees like Clients from Hell?

“It’s hard to know which measure these software programs track even matters,” Pollak adds. “A lot of knowledge work is done in video meetings, or offline in phone calls, research and brainstorming, and it’s impossible to quantify all of that.”

Yes, exactly. So stop trying to quantify it. Quantify the results of that knowledge work. A results-focused management style works best for remote work, not hovering over your peons waiting for them to make a mistake.

“If the pandemic and ‘great resignation’ taught us anything, it’s that managers need to be intentional and engaged with employees to be truly effective,”

Holy cow, managers need to talk to their workers! Thank The Invisible Hand this priestly Economist has brought this nugget of wisdom from the Ivory Tower.

Also, I love that the image for this article is a bleak and soulless office. I don't know how people see this and still wonder why nobody wants to be there.

Lool, without having subordinates in shouting distance they're realizing they produce very little themselves, and now the subordinates can organize themselves. God forbid you do some of the work they're doing and help them out a bit eh?

So glad my boss trusts our team. Quite literally only have a 30 minute meeting with everyone, once a week.

Very rare they ever ask anything from us. If they ever do, I make sure it's a priority and it gets done.

Finally, some truth. Micromanagers can’t show their worth because they can’t micromanage.

Micromanagement needs to be fired. It’s old school and outdated.

Daily reminder: economists work for banks, not for us.

Managers who don't know how to manage are confused by being asked to manage.

Fucking idiot assholes. Even my most type-a micromanager boss in decades managed to keep tabs on me remotely.

Sure there are spyware tools that monitor everything you do on the computer. But it sure seems like a better use of time and money to just hire good people, trust them, and evaluate the quality and timeliness of work.

These idiot companies should spend some time training managers how to do their goddamn jobs effectively.

Sounds like they need retraining or firing then. They need to learn some CRM skills.

I shopped around and recently got a new CRM that works better for what our company is doing, and helps keep tabs on everyone's workload and time tracking and it's so good.

And I'm not even managing anyone, my department is a one-man army. It's just really really nice to be able to hold yourself accountable, take relevant notes for future reference, and see what workload I have every day. I'm still busy and stressed to fuck, but the load off my brain trying to remember every single job I have is phenomenal.

I don't need a meeting or a phone call or an hour standing at anyone's desk, I just open a dashboard and go 'Cool I can see what's coming, whats been done, whos working on it, and all the documentation and logging I need to be informed about how it effects my work' in seconds.

Translated: Bosses don't know how to pretend to add any actual value to the workflow of their employees when they aren't constantly looming over them.