Remote work is supposed to be about results, until some genius decided to measure success in mouse movements.

An employee had a spotless record working from home, then learned HR demanded every remote worker install tracking software that tracks keystrokes, snaps screenshots, and assigns a daily productivity score.

The catch was that managers didn’t have to. So when the employee pushed back, his boss simply called it accountability.

He doesn’t mind being measured, but he hates that the people doing the measuring are somehow exempt.

Now even a trip to the kitchen feels like risking his livelihood.

Keep reading for the full story.

Company made us install activity tracker for WFH, but managers don’t have to use it

I’ve been working hybrid for a year, and everything was fine until last week. HR sent a mandatory email saying every remote worker needs to install activity tracking software.

It logs my keystrokes, takes random screenshots, and gives me a daily “productivity score.”

But this employee hardly thinks they deserve being put under such close supervision.

I hit all deadlines, finish every task, and rarely take long breaks. But now I’m stressed just grabbing a glass of water, scared the software will mark me as inactive.

Of course, this new policy wasn’t equally applied to everyone.

The worst part? The managers are exempt. They told us leaders “don’t need this kind of oversight.”

I brought this up in our team check-in.

The boss had a corporate-friendly response prepared, but the employee wasn’t buying it.

My manager said it’s just for “keeping everyone accountable.”

It feels so hypocritical. If tracking proves we are working, why don’t they follow the same rule?

This really grinds the employee’s gears for one particular reason.

This isn’t about slacking off. I hate that my employer treats regular staff like they can’t be trusted, while leadership gets a free pass.

Now it’s really starting to impact their performance.

It killed all my motivation. I used to enjoy working from home because I could focus better. Now I’m just performing to keep the score high.

Has anyone else dealt with this double standard? Is there any polite way to push back without getting flagged?

An unfair rule like this would bug just about anyone.

What did Reddit think?

Why not just go full TMI with it?

This user thinks the employee should just suck it up and deal with it.

Micromanaging is not the answer.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier who got annoyed with a group of friends who insisted on returning their items separately.

This user is delightfully condescending.

This employee is doing everything right and being treated like a suspect for it.

A year of met deadlines and finished tasks warrants a kudos, not constant surveillance. In the grand scheme of things, what good is assigning a productivity score going to do?

Feeling anxious over a glass of water shows that the only thing the software actually produces is fear, not focus.

Nobody does their best work while being watched.