The corporate handwringing started at almost the same time as the lockdown orders: “But if all of our workers are at home, where we can’t see them, how can we possibly know that they’re actually working?”
Leave it to the tech creeps to figure out a solution to reassure your boss, miles away, that you are indeed doing what you are being paid to do. Writing in the Guardian, Sandy Milne recently reported on the rise of “bossware” or “tattleware”, essentially spyware that enables managers to monitor their employees working from home. That includes a new program called Sneek, which uses your webcam to take a photo of you about once a minute and makes it available to your supervisor, to prove that you are not away from your desk doing God knows what. You’re not warned in advance, so the photograph that Sneek takes can catch you doing pretty much anything – picking spinach out of your teeth, smelling your own armpit, or any of the other totally normal things human beings do when alone but that no one really wants documented and distributed. It’s a level of invasion that would horrify even the NSA.
There are good reasons for the lack of trust between employer and employee – alas, they are mostly the fault of the employer. Companies took out PPP loans to stay running through the pandemic and then laid off thousands of workers anyway. There is widespread wage theft adding up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and social media is full of stories of restaurant owners withholding their waitstaffs’ tips.
If they are paying you hourly it’s their right.
They have NO damn rights !!!! like Nazi Germany !!!! Been there Done that !!!!
Sue their ass off & they will Stop !!!!!
Just put a piece of masking tape over the lens of the TWO cams on your computer like I do. If you get a phone call about it, play dumb, you’re no computer geek, and you’re too busy working to take it in to a shop and leave it!
I love your way of thinking 10:17
The AWW SHUCKS work ethic has greatly changed even in the trades . Travel and task times are all figured into productivity and the bottom line and the use technology and GPS to know exactly what workers are up too where they stop for coffee or a shit they even know if your speeding in a company vehicle .Early industrialist did the same thing. Workers were expected to preform in allocations of time measured for each task at hand in production. Bathroom breaks were timed there was no wondering off for coffee or a stroll around halls unsupervised of course this was before Unions. We are seeing a return to it especially with Amazons supply and delivery chain. You are expected to WORK and that is soon to change with robotic technology they don’t feel pain or have hangovers or are worried about kids or family that maybe at home sick. Their feet don’t hurt they don’t feel slighted or their situation is unequitable or unfair they don’t aspire to a better life. YET.
Unless you have very specialized and evolving updating expertise in a specific realm in current demand the notion of showing up to work at a ” JOB ” will soon no longer proffer the American Middle Class Dream. Won’t matter who we elect and what they promise. There is no going backwards.
Our hyper consumerism and consumption drives the market but soon the working class will not be able to afford even the cheapest of things imported from China. No 55 inch TV’s no cable no internet no new cars they will be reduced to renting and never owning homes. It’s already happened the rug has been pulled out from under our feet distracted with ” Cultural Issues ” and butt hurt beliefs and no practical measure to make better and hopeful happy lives for people. What’s the point ? I don’t think it’s the gifted life we were intended to live.
They are Hacking you then !! Illegal
We are NOT slaves for any damn employer > They need us & we don’t need them !!!!!