One in five companies consider Big Brother software to monitor home workers

A large number of British companies companies say they plan to install computer programs to keep an eye on employees working from home, according to a new survey.

Around 20% of employers said their firms have either implemented, or plan to implement, online software which monitors their remote workers.

It comes as millions of Brits have been working at home through the pandemic, as the Government advised companies to ensure that workers did not need to come to the office in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by Skillcast, found that firms with more than 250 employees were slightly more likely to say they have implemented such software.

Around 16% of larger firms, and 12% of firms overall, have installed the software. The survey found that 8% plan to implement the programmes to track staff, and 6% are in the process of considering it.

Even so, six in 10 decision-makers at companies say that remote working has not made staff compliance any more difficult, while 67% said that it had not led to costly communication errors.

They also think that the pandemic has made staff more loyal, with 46% believing employees are less likely to leave their jobs.

Skillcast co-founder Vivek Dodd said: “While we’ve found that corporate decision-makers are comfortable with their staff working remotely, they’re also making adjustments for improving employee support and compliance to support remote working for the long haul.”

The survey said that 45% of companies have not considered monitoring tools yet, while 15% said they did not know if it had been considered. Only 13% said they had considered such solutions but decided against it.