Shelly Palmer

The Rise of Tattleware

Microsoft Teams and Zoom no longer come with prebuilt productivity scores, but that has not stopped the rise of spies at work. As more and more business is being done from remote locations, the old adage “what gets measured, gets managed” is alive and well.

It is highly likely that your company monitors everything it can practically monitor. You know that phone calls are recorded for “quality assurance” and company emails have always belonged to the company you work for, but we’re seeing more and more software designed to help managers determine how many meeting invites you sent out, how many you accepted, how often your webcam was on, how often you turn your video off during an online meeting and much, much more. It’s called “tattleware,” and it is available from dozens of providers.

Ask your HR department how you are being monitored electronically, then decide where you draw the line. Silence is acceptance.

Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.