Is Your Boss Secretly Watching You Work?

The rise of ‘bossware’ is putting some workers on edge about their privacy in new ways. Plus, can camera-weary workers make the case to stay off the screen??

The ‘bossware’ that’s keeping tabs on workers

Ever have a sinking feeling your boss is watching you? You may be on to something.

In the remote-work world, some workers are finding their companies are recording the actions on their work computers, with things like keystroke logging and spontaneous screenshots. While this surveillance is the norm for some employees in industries such as finance, workers in other industries are reporting being tracked, too.

Should workers get used to an employee-surveillance world? Read more.

The case for turning off your Zoom camera

Some workers like to see their colleagues’ faces, but others dread the mandatory ‘cameras on’ call from managers. The good news for those who’d rather stay an empty black box? There’s a case to be made. From increased productivity to fewer distractions and stamping out Zoom fatigue, some experts say workers may be able to advocate to stay audio-only in some meetings.?

“Often, we look to the camera as being the only indicator of engagement, but what if we more carefully used other features, like the polls and the chat, where it doesn't matter if someone's camera is on or not?" asks Allison Gabriel, professor of management and organisations at the University of Arizona, US.

Read more on why staying off camera could be a boon.

Have workers forgotten how to behave in the office?

Picture this: you’re back in the office – whether to your delight or chagrin – and some of your colleagues are more interested in boisterously swapping stories of weekend adventures than getting down to business. You can’t concentrate, and it’s driving you up a wall. Isn’t the office supposed to be for work?

Well, in the new hybrid workplace, the answer is both yes and no. The purpose of the office has changed in major ways, and it’s certainly a learning curve for some workers. (The good news? Experts say things will settle… eventually.)

Read more about why you may feel so rusty getting back to the office.

More from around the BBC:

• Some workers who transitioned genders during remote work are now navigating the return to office.
• In the wake of the US’s Roe v Wade decision, an increasing number of firms are pledging to pay for abortion expenses.
• Is your child safe online? Here’s what parents need to know.

As always, there’s more at?BBC Worklife?and?BBC Business, where we cover the best of work, careers and business. See you next week.

Images credits: Getty Images