Seriously, Can we get rid of the Employee Tracking Nonsense?

So, I joined this company located in Delhi last year from Bangalore as a permanent WFH employee. Initial 6 months were fine, even though I was aware they had pre-installed tracking software called "Teramind" while sending the laptop! But in the last 3 months the work culture or environment has completely flipped and turned into Toxic. First they made us install a remote tracking software called "Hubstaff" which tracks keyboard and mouse activity and time, and takes 4 screenshots every 10 minutes. Then they made it compulsory 8 hours a day excluding any break like lunch or tea. This month they tied work hours with Salary and started deducting the entire day's pay even if you are short by like half an hour! Almost all employees know they need to leave but are kinda stuck due to the current job market situation. I'M thinking of quitting without finding another job now, I'm just mentally tired and frustrated with the situation I find myself in. All my emotional energy is spent, I just don't know what to do😞

So I was working wfh since past year and recently shifted to a project after a promotion, it’s a nice project and something I was looking forward to work with, but now my reporting manager says that you have to clock atleast 8 hours daily at this tracking software ( Nippon Buddy ). And I’ve to report to office 12 days a month, that’s okay but this 8 hours capture time is kinda nuts. Do you guys have these kinda policy as well or is it just at service based companies ?

So, this company I have an offer from seems great culture wise. I asked some members for red flags and they said its a software they use that tracks them for 8 hours and takes screenshots every 10 minutes. I have no experience working in companies with this implementation earlier. Can anyone shed some light on whether this may be a deal breaker or not? Heard mix responses from current employees that it’s hard to clock 40-42 hours a week and takes away our personal freedom. What are the thoughts?

Just saw the post about dystopian policies at work which is mostly criticism. If you were the HR / Founder how would you ensure punctuality? Or do you think punctuality is irrelevant as long as you are getting the work done? Curious to know the right way to handle these things.

Half day salary cut for every 3 days you're late is pretty freakin messed up. Curious to know what other ancient capatilist policies do corporates have in place to exploit all of us?

I've had the fortune of having worked in 3 countries so far. India is by far the most exciting place to be in 2024. But there's something about our work ethic that just concerns me. In both white and blue collar. In most other countries, I've observed people strictly sticking to the 9 to 5, working diligently in those hours - not wasting too much time on chai sutta breaks, instagram browsing, gupshup etc. They work for 8 hours, then leave. And think about work directly the next day. In India, most of us spend more hours - but very obviously very few of those hours are productive. In fact, I lately feel that too many people around me are doing even 2-3 hours of work on a good day. We end up just staying around, passing time, and then go back home. When we could have achieved so much more. Work ethic has fallen. Work hours have gone up. We need to be more mindful of our actions, we need to work well at work, and then do well at home. I think it's a function of being over populated. There are 1.5-2 people doing what 1 person should be doing, hence this effect. Needs to be fixed, it's the sign of a major problem in the workforce. Thoughts?

I joined Synkrama Technologies Private Limited with enthusiasm, inspired by a positive and supportive environment. Initially, the atmosphere seemed promising, and I was motivated to contribute to the team. However, as time went on, I faced numerous challenges that profoundly impacted my professional and personal well-being. Early in my tenure, I was appointed as a Team Lead on several projects. This role, though a significant opportunity, came with immense pressure from our CEO, KJ. The expectation was to meet deadlines at any cost, which led to continuous mental stress. Under his directives, I inadvertently became a source of pressure for my colleagues , AN , and AB and other major colleagues . This created a strained and uncomfortable working environment for all of us as i used to put pressure on them on the influence of Karan Jain The situation worsened as I found myself working through weekends and even during leaves, resulting in severe mental exhaustion. Despite these efforts, new developers were hired, and I was sidelined. This period was particularly tough, leading to depression and sleepless nights. After enduring this for several months, I decided to resign from my position. Unexpectedly, KJ contacted me, urging me to withdraw my resignation. He assured me that the previous issues would be resolved and praised my contributions. Reluctantly, I decided to stay, hoping for a positive change. However, the company's environment continued to pose challenges. We were subjected to screen monitoring via Team Logger, where management frequently questioned my idle time. Despite my high productivity and efficiency, I was often scrutinized for taking breaks or assisting colleagues, which is essential for maintaining a collaborative workspace. Most recently, a significant and distressing event occurred, further affirming my decision to share my experience publicly. it’s crucial to address and bring awareness to the toxic practices that can affect employees’ mental health and overall well-being. I hope my story encourages organizations to foster genuinely supportive environments and prioritize the mental health of their employees. source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rutvik-borad-12409b19b_theabrcurseabrofabrcoprorate-activity-7199762667471839233-3wyR

I rejected offers from 2 companies last month because they had a mandatory employee tracking softwares. I have been very clear during my final interviews, I clearly ask- do you track screens? If you do I am sorry I am uncomfortable and I wouldn’t like to continue! They have all tried to say, we rarely see the recordings- if so, are you dumb to pay for something you rarely use? If you can’t hire adults you can trust, and actually give responsibility too, without looking into their laptops, I am not working in that environment!

We have tracking software added. It takes laptop screenshots and session logging details. But now it takes camera pictures too for every 30 mins. I am doing wfh but it is taking too much privacy. Should i add a black tape or not. I am also little bit scared for adding a black tap due to market situation.