Skip to main content
  • Foundation
  • Executive network
  • CEO Circle
  • Enterprise Solutions
  • Linkage Logo
  • Store
  • Sign In
  • Account
    • My Account
    • Logout
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
SHRM
About
Book a Speaker
Join Today
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
  • Membership
  • Certification
    Certification

    Smiling asian student studying in library with laptop books doing online research for coursework, making notes for essay homework assignment, online education e-learning concept
    Get Certified!

    Be recognized as an HR leader with your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential.

    • How to Get Certified

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations. No other HR certification compares.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Details and Fees
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me
      • Certification FAQs
    • Prepare for the Exam

      Give yourself the best chance to pass your SHRM certification exam.

      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      • Study Aids & Add-ons
    • Recertification

      Recertify your SHRM Credentials before your end date!

      • Specialty Credentials
      • Qualifications
  • Topics & Tools
    Topics & Tools

    Stay up to date with workplace news and leverage our vast library of resources to streamline day-to-day HR tasks.

    The white house in washington, dc.
    Executive Order Impact Zone

    Do not abandon, but evaluate and evolve. It is about legal, equal opportunity for all.

    • News & Trends

      Follow breaking news and emerging workplace trends.

      Legal & Compliance

      Stay informed on workplace legal updates and their impacts.

      From the Workplace

      Explore diverse perspectives from your peers on today's workplaces.

      Flagships

      Get curated collections of podcasts, videos, articles, and more produced by SHRM.

    • HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      SEE ALL
      SHRM Research
    • Tools & Samples

      Access member resources and tools to streamline HR tasks.

      • Forms & Checklists
      • How-To Guides
      • Interactive Tools
      • Job Descriptions
      • Policies
      • Toolkits
      SEE ALL
      Ask an Advisor
  • Events & Education
    Events & Education

    SHRM25 in San Diego, June 29 - July 2, 2025
    Join us for SHRM25 in San Diego

    Register for the World’s Largest HR Conference being held on June 29 - July 2, 2025

    • Events
      • SHRM25
      • The AI+HI Project 2025
      • INCLUSION 2025
      • Talent 2026
      • Linkage Institute 2025
      SEE ALL
      Webinars
    • Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance credibility among peers and employers.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

    • Team Training & Development

      Customized training programs unique to your organization’s needs.

  • Business Solutions
  • Advocacy
    Advocacy

    Make your voice heard on public policy issues impacting the workplace.

    Advocacy
    SHRM's President & CEO testifies to Congress on "The State of American Education"
    • Policy Areas
      • Workforce Development
      • Workplace Inclusion
      • Workplace Flexibility & Leave
      • Workplace Governance
      • Workplace Health Care
      • Workplace Immigration
      State Affairs

      SHRM advances policy solutions in state legislatures nationwide.

      Global Policy

      SHRM is the go-to for global HR leaders and businesses on workplace matters.

    • Advocacy Team (A-Team)

      SHRM’s A-Team is a key member benefit, giving you the tools, insights, and opportunities to shape workplace policy and drive real impact.

      Take Action

      Urge lawmakers to support policies that create lasting, positive change.

      Advocacy & Legislative Resources

      Access SHRM’s curated policy materials and content.

    • SHRM-Led Coalitions
      • Generation Cares
      • The Section 127 Coalition
      • Learn More & Partner with SHRM Government Affairs
  • Community
    Community

    Woman raising hand in group
    Find a SHRM Chapter

    Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

    • Chapters

      Find local connections from over 607 chapters and state councils and create your personalized HR network.

      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      SHRM Northern California

      Join SHRM members in the greater San Francisco Bay area for local events and networking.

    • Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      • Membership Advisory Council
      • Regional Councils
    • Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

      • Volunteer Leader Resource Center
Close
  • Membership
  • Certification
    back
    Certification
    Smiling asian student studying in library with laptop books doing online research for coursework, making notes for essay homework assignment, online education e-learning concept
    Get Certified!

    Be recognized as an HR leader with your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential.

    • How to Get Certified

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations. No other HR certification compares.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Details and Fees
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me
      • Certification FAQs
    • Prepare for the Exam

      Give yourself the best chance to pass your SHRM certification exam.

      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      • Study Aids & Add-ons
    • Recertification

      Recertify your SHRM Credentials before your end date!

      • Specialty Credentials
      • Qualifications
  • Topics & Tools
    back
    Topics & Tools

    Stay up to date with workplace news and leverage our vast library of resources to streamline day-to-day HR tasks.

    The white house in washington, dc.
    Executive Order Impact Zone

    Do not abandon, but evaluate and evolve. It is about legal, equal opportunity for all.

    • News & Trends

      Follow breaking news and emerging workplace trends.

      Legal & Compliance

      Stay informed on workplace legal updates and their impacts.

      From the Workplace

      Explore diverse perspectives from your peers on today's workplaces.

      Flagships

      Get curated collections of podcasts, videos, articles, and more produced by SHRM.

    • HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      SEE ALL
      SHRM Research
    • Tools & Samples

      Access member resources and tools to streamline HR tasks.

      • Forms & Checklists
      • How-To Guides
      • Interactive Tools
      • Job Descriptions
      • Policies
      • Toolkits
      SEE ALL
      Ask an Advisor
  • Events & Education
    back
    Events & Education
    SHRM25 in San Diego, June 29 - July 2, 2025
    Join us for SHRM25 in San Diego

    Register for the World’s Largest HR Conference being held on June 29 - July 2, 2025

    • Events
      • SHRM25
      • The AI+HI Project 2025
      • INCLUSION 2025
      • Talent 2026
      • Linkage Institute 2025
      SEE ALL
      Webinars
    • Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance credibility among peers and employers.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

    • Team Training & Development

      Customized training programs unique to your organization’s needs.

  • Business Solutions
  • Advocacy
    back
    Advocacy

    Make your voice heard on public policy issues impacting the workplace.

    Advocacy
    SHRM's President & CEO testifies to Congress on "The State of American Education"
    • Policy Areas
      • Workforce Development
      • Workplace Inclusion
      • Workplace Flexibility & Leave
      • Workplace Governance
      • Workplace Health Care
      • Workplace Immigration
      State Affairs

      SHRM advances policy solutions in state legislatures nationwide.

      Global Policy

      SHRM is the go-to for global HR leaders and businesses on workplace matters.

    • Advocacy Team (A-Team)

      SHRM’s A-Team is a key member benefit, giving you the tools, insights, and opportunities to shape workplace policy and drive real impact.

      Take Action

      Urge lawmakers to support policies that create lasting, positive change.

      Advocacy & Legislative Resources

      Access SHRM’s curated policy materials and content.

    • SHRM-Led Coalitions
      • Generation Cares
      • The Section 127 Coalition
      • Learn More & Partner with SHRM Government Affairs
  • Community
    back
    Community
    Woman raising hand in group
    Find a SHRM Chapter

    Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

    • Chapters

      Find local connections from over 607 chapters and state councils and create your personalized HR network.

      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      SHRM Northern California

      Join SHRM members in the greater San Francisco Bay area for local events and networking.

    • Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      • Membership Advisory Council
      • Regional Councils
    • Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

      • Volunteer Leader Resource Center
Join Today
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
  • Store
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
  • About
  • Book a Speaker
  • Foundation
  • Executive network
  • CEO Circle
  • Enterprise Solutions
  • Linkage Logo
SHRM
Sign In
  • Account
    • My Account
    • Logout
Close

  1. Topics & Tools
  2. Workplace News & Trends
  3. Is Use of Employee Monitoring Contributing to the Great Resignation?
Share
  • Linked In
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus convallis sem tellus, vitae egestas felis vestibule ut.


Error message details.

Copy button
Reuse Permissions

Request permission to republish or redistribute SHRM content and materials.


Learn More
News

Is Use of Employee Monitoring Contributing to the Great Resignation?

March 14, 2022 | Dave Zielinski

A woman sitting at a desk in an office.


​In a time when most organizations can ill afford to watch even one more employee walk out the door, each factor influencing worker retention is receiving extra scrutiny from HR leaders. Among those factors is the use of employee monitoring software, whose deployment grew rapidly during the pandemic as companies sought to keep an eye on employees suddenly working from home.

Global demand for employee monitoring software increased by 66 percent in the fall of 2021, according to research from Top10VPN, a digital privacy and virtual private networking review site. Sustained demand for the technology is 54 percent higher than before the pandemic began, according to the site.

A 2022 study of HR technology use by PwC found that 95 percent of HR leaders have either implemented new methods to track and report on the productivity and performance of remote workers or plan to do so in the future.

Companies are using monitoring software to measure employee keystrokes, oversee use of workplace applications and e-mail, and gauge employees' active versus idle time at their computers. In some cases, organizations use the technology to take random screenshots of employee desktops to ensure they're not spending too much time on social media, or flip on webcams to verify people are sitting at workstations.

Other common uses include deploying monitoring software to validate employee-reported work hours and improve cybersecurity or insider threat detection.

Impact on Employee Morale, Retention

While monitoring isn't new, there are questions about the practice's impact on employee morale and retention, particularly at a time when workers have more employment choices than ever, are still feeling pandemic-related stress and continue to resign from jobs in large numbers.

A recent report from the European Commission's Joint Research Council found that use of monitoring can contribute to decreased job satisfaction, increased stress and increased turnover. A 2021 study by Gartner found that employee concerns about monitoring can contribute to burnout and remote workers not knowing how to "switch off" during their increasingly longer workdays because of fears of being constantly watched. 

Intent Makes the Difference

Experts say the rationale behind using monitoring software makes all the difference in whether the technology helps employees be more productive and efficient or it creates mistrust and damages workers' morale.

"There are good and not-so-good reasons to use monitoring software," said David Brodeur-Johnson, principal analyst and employee experience research lead for Forrester. "It has everything to do with what your intent is as an employer and whether your employees trust that intent. If your goal only is to find slackers and punish them, it likely will create problems in terms of employee motivation and retention."

Organizational leaders should think hard about what they want their use of monitoring technology to achieve, experts say.

"If you want to track minutes, you'll get minutes, or if you want to track keystrokes you'll get keystrokes," Brodeur-Johnson said. "But if you want to track outcomes, you'll get outcomes."

Helen Poitevin, an analyst and vice president with Gartner who specializes in human capital management technologies, said if not used with the right intent, monitoring's "trust costs" can outweigh its benefits. But if used with full transparency and more-positive objectives, the technology can help employees with things like learning to use their time more wisely or spotting the early signs of burnout.

"It can be a different story if you use the data collected from monitoring software with the goal of improving the employee experience or worker well-being," Poitevin said.

Most monitoring technologies collect similar types of data, she noted, so the difference comes in how leaders choose to make decisions with that information. For example, the data could be used to show managers or employees if they're attending too many back-to-back meetings, if there is inconsistent distribution of a workload across a team, or if people are sending or reading too many e-mails after work hours.

Using Monitored Data to Avoid Employee Burnout

Teramind is one provider of monitoring software that encourages organizations to use the data collected by its technology to help improve the employee experience. Information gathered by the Aventura, Fla.-based vendor can help prevent employee burnout or potential resignations by identifying known precursors to overwork like tardiness, a decrease in productivity and increased distractions.

"Our reports can be configured so alerts are sent to HR if these things happen so those situations can be addressed," said Isaac Kohen, vice president of research and development for Teramind.

One such situation happened with a Teramind project manager who had a track record of stellar work performance. "We found out her kids had returned to remote learning around the same time we started working on a major product update," Kohen said. "We were able to work out a better schedule with her and get her more help on the update to avoid her burning out."

Like other monitoring vendors, Teramind's software also is designed to help boost worker productivity and optimize workflows by collecting behavior analytics. The software collects general activity data rather than individual employee data, which experts say can make it more ethically and legally defensible. For example, the technology can measure employee outputs like the number of forms completed, e-mails sent, online meetings attended and more.

"Many of our customers want to understand their workflows and processes better in order to optimize those systems," Kohen said.

Importance of Transparency

Experts say being transparent with employees about the use of monitoring software helps build trust and can create more willingness among workers to consider how the technology might produce insights that help them work more efficiently or productively.

HR and legal departments should establish clear privacy and performance evaluation guidelines around the use of monitoring and fully understand how the software works to ensure employee relations and legal compliance issues are considered, experts recommend.

In the interest of transparency, some vendors like Teramind have features that alert employees to when they're being monitored. "Some customers tell us that their employees say knowing our 'revealed agent' is running can actually make them more productive," Kohen said.

The revealed agent can show too many instant messages coming from outside the company or excessive personal e-mail usage without actually seeing the contents of those messages or e-mails, he added.

Legal Concerns of Home Monitoring

While it's long been legal for organizations to monitor employees using company-owned devices and networks, legal experts say companies should tread more carefully when using surveillance tools with remote employees working in their homes.

Philip Gordon, co-chair of the privacy and data security practice group with Littler Mendelson in Denver, said companies can get into legal hot water if, for example, webcams or microphones used in employee homes inadvertently pick up video or audio of nonemployees such as family members.

Audio recordings made without remote employees' consent also can run afoul of laws in two-party consent states, Gordon said, where all parties involved in a recording must first consent to the activity.

State laws also vary on the need to notify employees that they're being monitored and to receive their consent. New York, for example, passed a law effective in May that requires private employers to provide prior notice to employees when monitoring their telephone, e-mail or Internet usage. 

Dave Zielinski is principal of Skiwood Communications, a business writing and editing company in Minneapolis.

Risk Management
Technology

Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

​An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.



Related Content

Kelly Dobbs Bunting speaks onstage at SHRM24
(opens in a new tab)
News
Why AI+HI Is Essential to Compliance

HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.

(opens in a new tab)
News
A 4-Day Workweek? AI-Fueled Efficiencies Could Make It Happen

The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.

(opens in a new tab)
News
How One Company Uses Digital Tools to Boost Employee Well-Being

Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.

HR Daily Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest HR news, trends, and expert advice each business day.

Success title

Success caption

Manage Subscriptions
  • About SHRM
  • Careers at SHRM
  • Press Room
  • Contact SHRM
  • Book a SHRM Executive Speaker
  • Advertise with Us
  • Partner with Us
  • Copyright & Permissions
  • Post a Job
  • Find an HR Job
Follow Us
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • SHRM Newsletters
  • Ask An Advisor

© 2025 SHRM. All Rights Reserved

SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Disclaimer


  1. Privacy Policy

  2. Terms of Use

  3. Accessibility

Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Member Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Limit Reached

Get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join to access unlimited articles and member-only resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join the Executive Network and enjoy unlimited content.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join and enjoy unlimited access to SHRM Executive Network Content.

Already a member?
Unlock Your Career with SHRM Membership

Please enjoy this free resource! Join SHRM for unlimited access to exclusive articles and tools.

Already a member?

Your membership is almost expired! Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew now

Your membership has expired. Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew Now

Your Executive Network membership is nearing its expiration. Renew now to maintain access.

Renew Now

Your membership has expired. Renew your Executive Network benefits today.

Renew Now