The Effects That Could Come From Productivity Tracking Your Employees

The world of work has changed a lot in recent years, with more and more people opting to work from home altogether or agreeing to hybrid working, meaning they spend their time divided between the office and home. The problem? Not every employer is entirely happy with how things are going.

While there are plenty of signs that working from home - even some of the time - can boost productivity like nothing else, others are concerned that employees aren’t using their time entirely wisely. With plenty turning to ways to keep on top of the work that’s being done, it’s important to understand the effects that could come from productivity tracking your employees.

1. Productivity tracking could invite a feeling of distrust

What is the key to running a successful business? According to Forrester Research, that comes down to three main factors: enablement, inspiration, and empowerment. The problem is many employees view productivity tracking as a form of micromanagement and quickly lose sight of what a business has tried to build. In fact, many went as far as saying it offers a feeling of distrust, such as not being able to share honest concerns with their coworkers through messages when they feel as though they’re being watched at every turn. This, in turn, can affect someone’s performance greatly as they start to check out of their job long before the end of the day.

2. There’s a chance people could break the rules more

Productivity tracking is meant to show an employer how much work an employee is getting done at any one time, with many employers thinking it will stop their workers from breaking the rules and help them to knuckle down. The reality? A study from Harvard Business Review shows the opposite is actually true. In fact, workers were much more likely to damage property, work at a deliberately slow pace, steal office supplies, disregard any instructions, and take unapproved breaks when their computers were fitted with productivity tracking software. Apparently, many of them reported feeling that they had lost their sense of freedom and felt they should start acting more to their own moral standards.

3. It can be tough to know if productivity tracking is working

It can be easy to think that productivity tracking your employees will break down everything they get done in the day, but that might not always be the case. After all, the software only tracks what someone is doing on their computers, with plenty of workers complaining that they aren’t recognized for other work-related jobs, such as answering the phone, printing documents, or thinking up ideas. In some cases, productivity tracking can lead to decreased wages when employers think someone isn’t doing as much as they should, even though that’s far from the case. In one example, The New York Times reported social workers and therapists were marked “idle” when they weren’t using their computers, even though it was because they were talking to patients.

4. There are higher rates of anxiety and stress among employees

Keeping your employees happy is key to maintaining balance in the workplace. Sadly, that might get lost with productivity tracking software. A heavy workload, fear of losing their job or being reprimanded, and a lack of control can all affect a worker’s anxiety and stress levels, with productivity tracking adding to several of these issues. NPR conducted a study to see just how much this kind of tracking affected an employee’s mental health. People confessed that being tracked in ten-minute blocks felt a lot of fear that they would be heavily punished for stepping away from their work computers, even if it was for something innocent like using the bathroom.

The effects that could come from productivity tracking your employees might go to show that it’s not the best idea after all. While it’s often used with the best of intentions, there are often times when the cons outweigh the pros - and this might just be one to add to the list.