Yes, your boss is tracking you. And HR knows.

If you think they’re not watching, you’re wrong.

They know when you log in. They know when you go idle. They know how many keys you press and when your mouse stops moving. Some places even take random screenshots through your webcam while you work.

And no, it’s not just your manager. HR sees it too.

Most workers don’t realise how much they’re being tracked. It’s built into the systems – Microsoft 365, Time Doctor, Hubstaff, Teramind. You might not even know the software’s running. But it is.

All that data? It gets stored. Then one day it gets used.

This is what happens when they want to start pushing you out.
They don’t look at your results. They pull out your “activity levels”. Suddenly, your work isn’t good enough. Suddenly, your effort is being questioned. Even if you’ve done everything right.

This is how people get managed out without even realising it. The tracking builds a case. HR backs it. And just like that, you’re the problem.

This is normal now. This is happening in offices, schools, charities, councils. It’s not a tech industry thing. It’s everywhere.

What can you do?

Start with this:
If you’re on a work device, assume you’re being monitored.
If something feels off, keep your own records.
And if it gets serious, you have the right to do a Subject Access Request to see what they’ve got on you. That’s your data. Ask for it.

If they use that tracking to start pushing you out, it could be constructive dismissal. Don’t let them spin it as “just performance data”. It’s more than that.

You’re not being paranoid. You’re being watched. HR knows. And they’re not on your side.

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