
How Employee Tracking Hurts Morale and Productivity
Excessive employee tracking, intended to boost productivity, often backfires by eroding trust, lowering morale, and fostering a culture of performative work rather than meaningful contributions. Constant surveillance creates stress, discourages creativity, and shifts employees' focus from quality to appearances, leading to disengagement and even counterproductive behaviors like task inflation and faked activity. Instead of relying on punitive monitoring, organizations should prioritize trust, autonomy, and outcome-based performance, fostering a healthier, more productive workplace where employees feel empowered rather than controlled.