RTO mandates and surveillance software won't keep employees productive

For some organizations, it's not enough to have their workforce back under the same roof — they want to track what they're doing at their desks, too. 

In addition to forcing employees back to the office through RTO mandates, up to 80% of large U.S. employers also use other forms of employee surveillance, according to surveys from Pew Research and Resume Builder, such as computer monitoring and mouse tracking. Not only do these findings imply a growing disconnect between employees and their leaders, the strategies themselves won't lead to the productivity boost organizations are hoping for. 

"It's simple: do you think employees do their best work when they're being micromanaged, or when leaders set an aspirational goal for them and celebrate them when they achieve it?" says Doug Dennerline, the CEO of software company Betterworks. "Psychologically, it's pretty straightforward." 

Read more: 5 strategies to help RTO mandates stick

Still, many organizations are committed to monitoring their newly in-person or hybrid workforce. For example, PwC explicitly told workers that managers will be tracking their location to enforce a three-day in-office policy; professional services network EY is monitoring employees' use of their access-control cards as they move around their offices; and Deloitte has been analyzing the IP addresses of workers whom leadership suspects are working from outside of the UK.

The constant surveillance is more than just an effort to maximize productivity; it's the result of a much more pressing workplace concern that needs to be addressed, says Dennerline.  

"If a leader wants people in the office five days a week because they think they'll be more productive, that's a trust issue," he says. "The same goes for using software to track remote employees' progress." 

A consequence of that distrust is high turnover rates. Sixty-three percent of employees would consider the use of tracking software as a reason to leave their employer, according to workplace insights blog Raconteur, with 28% saying it would definitely drive them to quit. The same survey found that employees are less concerned with the use of surveillance methods to enforce office participation, but 38% would still consider quitting if it happened at their organization.      

Read more: Employers' attempts to monitor remote workers is backfiring

To avoid losing talent, Dennerline suggests employers first revisit their RTO policies as a whole and identify whether the effort was done for the right reasons and not just as a means to keep an eye on employees. A couple of days in the office so that younger or incoming talent can learn from other employees or for collaboration could be helpful, but it's not necessary all day, every day. 

As for the use of surveillance tactics, Dennerline urges organizations to remember that those measures aren't necessarily foolproof. Employees who want to take advantage of their freedoms will do so from the office just as easily as they would from home. 

"Ask employees how they want to work, and if it's a reasonable ask, let them work that way," Dennerline says. "Find a way to empower your people to do their best."