Software tools that you use to perform work activities often track some activities. In many cases, for security reasons. The Washington Post did a comparative analysis of four of the best-known platforms: Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Slack and Zoom. We share the information with you so that you are aware of the type of information that your boss could see while you are connected in the work application
Some of these software companies have made it clear that their reports should not be used to evaluate or monitor employees. However, remote or hybrid work modalities, boosted after the coronavirus pandemic, have given way to a phenomenon that Microsoft has dubbed “productivity paranoia”.
He Microsoft Job Trends Indexpublished in September of last year, points out that 87% of employees consider it to be productive. However, 85% of leaders or managers say they do not trust it. It’s paranoia because the analysis they did then, which took into account trillions of indicators monitored by Microsoft 365, showed that the signs of productivity had increased instead of decreased.
At Slack they believe the same. Brian Elliott, SVP of Slack, told The Washington Post last year that measuring productivity only on the basis of the recording of certain activities does not take into account, for example, the different communication styles of people. Evaluate a worker by the time he was online, the meetings he had or the amount of emails he sent, “It’s not only arbitrary, but it’s often counterproductive,” Elliot said.
Yet global demand for employee monitoring software has increased 65% since 2019, according to a study last year by internet security and digital rights firm Top10VPN.
What can your boss see while you’re online at work?
They do not need specialized software. The most common work tools offer employers some metrics on work activity. Emails sent or received, the contents of the messages, number of meetings, duration of these meetings or even, if you activated the microphone or not. Your boss could also see the content of downloaded files when you are connected to these work platforms.
Some platforms require some permission or request from administrators for some features. Others work by default.
Category | Microsoft Office 365 | Google Workspace | slack | Zoom |
Number of emails or messages sent | ✅* | ✅ | ✅ | ✅* |
Number of emails or messages received | ✅* | ✅ | ❌ | ✅* |
Content of the email or message | ✅* | ✅* | ✅* | ✅* |
Number of meetings in which you participated | ✅* | ✅* | ✅ | ✅ |
Meeting duration | ✅* | ✅* | ✅ | ✅ |
Calendar | ✅* | ✅* | ❌ | ✅ |
If the camera or microphone was on | ✅* | ✅* | N/A | ✅+ |
Number of files saved or uploaded | ✅* | ✅ | ✅ | N/A |
Content of saved or uploaded files | ✅* | ✅* | ✅* | N/A |
+ Only meetings scheduled by the user
N/A Not Applicable
If employers choose to use data from these workplace tools to evaluate their teams, it will likely reduce loyalty to the company, says Bart Willemsen, vice president and analyst of privacy and technology at global consultancy Gartner. “Productivity should equal results,” he said in another interview with The Washington Post.
“Productivity paranoia” may actually be a major brake on teams. For example, with meeting overload. Another Microsoft study published last May ensures that the average employee spends 57% of their work time connected to meetings, answering emails or chat. 43% used it for creative actions, such as editing spreadsheets or writing PowerPoint presentations.
people participate in 3 times more in meetings and calls from teams (the Microsoft 365 work communication tool) per week. That’s a 192% growth since February 2020. “People are feeling pretty overwhelmed,” Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s research leader, told The Wall Street Journal. «It’s the feeling of having two jobs: the work for which they were hired and this other work of communication, coordination and collaboration ».