How to Detect Employee Monitoring Software on Your Computer

Would you like it if your boss or your boss’s boss could track every move you make on your computer? The emails you type, the websites you browse, and how long you’re away from your desk to use the bathroom?

No, we wouldn’t either. And we know that might sound weird coming from a company that has made one of the most-used time tracking tools on the market (we’re very anti-surveillance, though).

Even though we’re against it, employee monitoring is increasingly common, with 43% of workers reporting their employer monitors their online activity in some way. Unsurprisingly, this impacts their job satisfaction.

It all boils down to trust. Companies mistrust employees they can’t see, which is a huge problem in the remote and hybrid working world. While some organizations, like Amazon, have executed return-to-office policies to keep everyone in full view (read our 🌶️ opinions about that here), others micro-manage remote workers via intrusive surveillance.

But how do you know if your boss is monitoring you? Below, you’ll find a few tips for detecting surveillance tools on your computer. Stay tuned ’til the end so we can introduce you to some anti-surveillance alternatives that track time while respecting user privacy.

TL;DR—Key Takeaways

• Employee monitoring software records activity on an employee’s computer or other work device. They provide managers with detailed information about an employee’s progress and daily workflow.
• Features of monitoring tools include keystroke tracking, mouse movements, emails, visited websites, and even images of the employee’s work environment. These features compromise individual privacy and make workers feel uncomfortable about surveillance.
• Not all types of employee monitoring tools are bad, though. Some may boost productivity by improving time management. Sometimes, they also protect sensitive data and meet compliance requirements.
• Employees can detect monitoring software in various ways, such as searching for active processes with Task Manager or the command line. Traffic monitoring tools look for unusual activity, while spyware detectors flag up unwanted background agents.
• Privacy-focused time-tracking tools offer an alternative. Toggl Track allows managers to track team achievements and organize tasks. However, employees are always in control of their time tracking with no need for intrusive surveillance.

What is employee monitoring software?

Employee monitoring software tools allow employers to track activity on remote devices during work hours. The idea is that managers can track activity in real-time and ensure staff focuses on critical tasks.

Monitoring tools track a diverse range of metrics. For instance, tools may monitor:

• Keystroke logging: Records every key pressed by remote employees, creating a log of written words, web addresses, deletions, or copy-and-paste operations.
• Screen capture: Instructs employee monitoring tools to capture images of an employee’s screen regularly.
• Screen recording: Stores continuous recordings of an employee’s screen.
• Email tracking: Keeps records of every email employees sent, including time stamps, attachments, and recipients.
• Web monitoring: Logs websites visited by team members, including web applications, social media sites, and corporate pages.
• GPS tracking: Uses apps installed on mobile devices to track the movements of delivery drivers, riders, sales representatives, or anyone else who works outside the office.
• Data and file access: Tracks files accessed by the employee. This may be linked to cybersecurity systems to limit access and prevent data breaches.

On the surface, this level of functionality sounds benign. However, problems arise when employers deploy activity tracking without consent or implement features covertly. Also known as “bossware,” products like this are depressingly common.

For instance, many computer monitoring systems track mouse movements, flagging idle time after just a few seconds. Bosses can watch real-time screen videos and even activate webcams to watch employees as they work.

Why would a company use employee monitoring software?

For privacy-conscious people, employee monitoring software can appear baffling. Why do companies rush to monitor colleagues? Why is trust in such short supply?

It helps to take a step back here and consider the other side.

There are plenty of reasons to use activity monitoring tools (although we’d suggest staying away from the intrusive ones). Here are some of the most enticing.

🌎 Managing remote employees

Remote work has increased since COVID-19 (it’s three to four times as prevalent as it was in 2019, according to US News), creating new headaches for managers.

In the past, managers could check employee activity in person. They could casually glide past someone’s desk to look over their shoulder, schedule update meetings appropriately, and deal with personal issues as they arose.

None of this is easy when you manage from a distance.

Employee monitoring software gives managers more insights and provides evidence of completed work. Software tools make remote workers accountable during their agreed work hours.

Managers can also track critical tasks and keep projects on track. If activity drops (due to illness or other factors), managers can easily reassign work.

🎡 Productivity tracking

Employee activity monitoring may boost productivity in remote teams.

For example, when used correctly, managers may notice certain employees struggling with completing their tasks on time. Monitoring tools can help them identify the problem so employees can change their working habits, perhaps using time blocking techniques to support their workload.

Employee productivity gains are not guaranteed, though. Most studies show monitoring decreases job satisfaction and increases stress while having minimal productivity benefits.

We agree. Our experience suggests workers are more likely to use their time better when they’re not being tightly monitored. Sometimes a hands-off approach just works better.

🔐 Security and compliance

Employee monitoring software makes a huge contribution to sectors where data security and compliance are paramount.

For example, tracking tools log sensitive data or the files that employees access. They verify employees are using the correct authentication systems and follow confidentiality policies (in the case of protected health data, for example).

So, in theory, monitoring should reduce the risk of data breaches by encouraging safe computer usage, compliance with company policies, and limiting the scope of insider threats.

Here’s the thing, though. Employee monitoring software also invites compliance risks. Regulations like GDPR require strict privacy controls for employees, and going all-in on employee monitoring solutions can breach worker rights.

🧑‍⚖️ Legal protection

Finally, companies may use employee monitoring software to protect their legal position. This applies in situations where harassment or malpractice are common legal risks. Tracking tools provide evidence of proper behavior, protecting both employers and employees.

When clients complain about services or products, tracking data can refute their accusations. Companies can show employees’ work met contractual standards — a tricky task without activity logs.

Wait, can companies even legally monitor employee activity?

Before we move on to the ins and outs of detecting employee monitoring tools, you’ll probably want to know whether tracking work time is actually legal.

The short answer is yes; employers can monitor workflows during employee work hours.

Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA), employers can intercept their employees’ electronic, spoken, or written communications if they have “legitimate” business reasons. Companies can also meet ECPA requirements by gaining the consent of employees.

After workers agree to monitoring, bosses can implement the full range of tools outlined earlier.

In the European Union, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) slightly limit employee monitoring by requiring companies to process employee data according to principles of fairness and proportionality. In other words, companies can collect employee data provided they do so for business reasons.

Generally, companies should consider monitoring options and choose the least intrusive option to meet their goals. This leaves room for many approaches, including hands-off and relatively strict activity tracking.

How to detect employee monitoring software

Don’t freak out, but…depending on the employer’s integrity, some remote workers won’t know they’re being tracked unless they read the small print in their employment contract.

Another way is to manually detect user activity tracking tools on your work devices.

Disabling tracking systems is harder (and may cause conflict with bosses). But if you find a tracker and haven’t given consent, you may wish to raise the matter. Let’s run through a typical discovery process to clarify your situation.

⌨️ Use the command line

The first place to look is using the MS-DOS command line to check background processes.

1. Press the Microsoft Windows key + R to bring up a search box. Type “cmd,” and you will reach the MS-DOS shell.
2. Type the command “tasklist.” This brings up information about current background processes.
3. Look through the list. Note down the names of programs you don’t recognize. Remember, the people who code monitoring tools like to keep them discreet. Don’t expect names like “Workspy.exe.”
4. Use a search engine to find information about suspect processes. If you are being monitored, one of the names on your list will check out.

🖥️ Check your task manager

The second method involves using your computer’s task manager.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del or Ctrl + Alt + Esc. Choose the “task manager” option to call the Task Manager window.
2. Click on the “processes” section of Task Manager to see a list of current background processes.
3. Browse the list carefully. Look for processes that seem unusual or out of place. Note down the file names.
4. Right-click on a suspicious process. Choose the “search online” option. This will use your default browser to find information about the process.

⚙️ Analyze network traffic

If you haven’t found anything but suspect your employer uses tools to track employee activity, it’s time to use specialist network traffic analysis.

Network traffic analyzers monitor your device or network. They detect suspicious activity from malware or spyware. Monitoring tools generally qualify as spyware, so you should receive alerts if they’re present.

Common red flags include unexplained memory or bandwidth usage. Monitoring spyware could change access control settings or request sharing privileges to send data to your employer.

🥷 Install anti-spy software

Finally, you could take the nuclear option: installing anti-spyware tools to wipe out unidentified agents, whatever their function. These tools do a great job of scanning incoming files and web traffic. They should flag up keyloggers and screenshot grabbers, providing a way to quarantine or remove them.

🔍 Look out for other signs of stealth mode monitoring

Some tracking software uses a technique called stealth mode monitoring to evade detection. Stealth mode minimizes disruption and uses minimal bandwidth, making finding snoopers a chore.

Signs of stealth snooping are often subtle but worth looking out for. Symptoms include:

• Unexplained device slowdowns, especially while using workflow tools.
• Spikes in network activity that aren’t explained by app or web usage.
• Application problems like glitches or crashes that haven’t happened before.
• The appearance of unusual files or processes.

What to do if your employer is monitoring your computer activity

You’ve run every diagnostic in town and researched stacks of processes. There’s no doubt about it: your workplace uses employee monitoring software to track your digital activity.

So, what now? We recommend taking a moment before responding. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Deleting monitoring tools could create problems with your employer, who may be acting legally (if not ethically). And, of course, you may decide to tolerate the activity monitoring. Some people don’t need a private work environment, and that’s fine.

But many others make privacy a point of principle. If the snooping results in dissatisfaction with your role or reduced productivity because you’re modifying your usual work patterns, then it’s time to take action.

Understand company monitoring policies

Start by consulting your employer’s internal monitoring policies. These policies should be freely available to all employees and explain how the company handles activity monitoring.

Policies define what the employer can monitor and why. For example, your boss might scan network traffic for keywords related to unacceptable speech or contact with competitors.

These workplace policies should draw a clear line between an employee’s personal and professional activity.

Look for clear justifications of why your employer collects information. If there’s no business reason, you may be able to challenge monitoring processes. And if your company doesn’t offer these types of policies at all, that’s another red flag.

Don’t use your work computer for anything personal

After discovering employee monitoring software, we advise changing your workplace habits. Make a point of separating personal and work activities so you only use your work computer for professional tasks.

This can be tough for remote access workers, who may only have one device. In that case, feel free to raise the issue with your boss and ask if the company can supply a dedicated work laptop.

Speak to HR about your concerns

It’s always good to talk to employers about workplace issues. If they’re serious about morale, HR teams will happily discuss how they monitor employees and find solutions to privacy concerns.

Try to approach HR with constructive feedback, even if you’re angry about being tracked. There’s often room for mutual understanding. Who knows? After hearing your concerns, employers may switch to less invasive productivity tools.

Is time-tracking software a type of monitoring system?

Advanced productivity tracking solutions occupy the middle ground between invasive monitoring and hands-off “anything goes” management.

Time tracking has some features of full-scale employee monitoring software but focuses on recording work time (not mouse movements or keystrokes).

Be careful, though: even some well-known products lack privacy safeguards. For example, Clockify includes screenshotting, while Time Doctor tracks idle time.

Instead, opt for one of best time trackers in the market. Toggl Track is totally against surveillance. Our platform doesn’t allow employers to take snapshots of employees while they work or make audio recordings of a worker’s home office.

Our platform simply enables employees to track their time on actual work done — the practical stuff clients value and managers need to know about, especially when staying in touch with remote workers.

Toggl Track is the ideal option for balancing data collection, awareness, collaboration, and employee freedom.

To learn more about time tracking for human beings, sign up for a free Toggl Track account.