Employee Productivity
Tracking Software

Time Tracking:

• What it Does: Tracks the time employees spend on tasks, projects, or activities.
• Purpose: Ensures time is allocated efficiently and identifies where time is being wasted.

Application and Website Monitoring:

• What it Does: Tracks the use of software applications and websites.
• Purpose: Identifies which tools are being used productively and flags non-work-related usage.

Keystroke and Mouse Activity Monitoring:

• What it Does: Monitors keyboard strokes and mouse movements to assess activity levels.
• Purpose: Measures periods of active work versus idle time to ensure employees are engaged.

Project and Task Tracking:

• What it Does: Monitors how much time employees spend on specific tasks or projects.
• Purpose: Provides insights into project progress and helps managers allocate resources more efficiently.

Screenshot Monitoring:

• What it Does: Captures periodic screenshots of employees’ screens during work hours.
• Purpose: Verifies that employees are working on appropriate tasks and staying on track.

Productivity Analytics:

• What it Does: Analyzes overall productivity by compiling data from various sources (e.g., time tracking, activity levels).
• Purpose: Provides performance reports and trends to assess individual and team productivity.

1. Purpose:
   • Productivity Monitoring: Focuses on tracking work-related activities to improve efficiency, ensure tasks are completed on time, and help employees stay productive. It’s typically used to identify areas for improvement, streamline workflows, and provide data-driven insights.
   • Surveillance: Often has broader and more intrusive goals, such as monitoring personal behavior, preventing misconduct, or tracking non-work-related activities. It may be used to enforce rules or catch violations, rather than improving work performance.
2. Scope:
   • Productivity Monitoring: Primarily tracks work-related metrics, such as time spent on tasks, software usage, project progress, and activity levels. It’s designed to offer insights into job performance and task completion.
   • Surveillance: Can include monitoring personal communications, location, physical movements (e.g., through cameras), or even private activities, going beyond work-related behavior.
3. Employee Impact:
   • Productivity Monitoring: Generally promotes transparency and is often introduced with clear communication to help employees understand how it benefits their work. It aims to optimize workflows, making it more collaborative in nature.
   • Surveillance: Can feel intrusive, leading to trust issues or a feeling of being constantly watched. It may create a negative work environment if employees feel they are being excessively monitored for non-productive reasons.

1. Activity Tracking: The software monitors how much time employees spend on various tasks, applications, websites, or projects. It captures data on work-related activity, breaks, and idle time.
2. Time Tracking: It records the exact time employees clock in, clock out, and the duration spent on specific tasks or projects. This helps you assess how effectively work hours are being used.
3. Application & Website Usage: The software logs which applications and websites employees use during work hours, identifying productive and non-productive behavior. You can see if time is spent on work-related tools or distractions.
4. Screenshots and Monitoring: Some tools periodically capture screenshots or offer live screen monitoring to verify tasks being performed. This provides visual proof of employee activity.
5. Reports and Analytics: The software generates reports on productivity metrics, such as time spent on tasks, app usage, and overall performance. You can review individual or team data to identify patterns and areas for improvement.
6. Alerts and Notifications: Some systems send alerts when employees deviate from expected tasks or access unauthorized websites, helping you ensure compliance with company policies.
7. Integration with Other Tools: Productivity monitoring software often integrates with project management and payroll systems, automating time tracking, task reporting, and compensation calculations.

Productivity tracking helps manage tasks, ensures accountability, and provides insights into work patterns across different work environments. For remote employees, the major benefit is increased accountability and better management of time. The flexible work management makes work hassle-free for hybrid employees. And, it improves work efficiency and workload balance for employees working in office set-up.

Yes, tracking employee activity is legal if done transparently and does not violate any labor laws and other regulations. Before starting to use any such systems, employers must inform the employees and assure them of their data and privacy protection. Obtaining consent mitigates legal risks.

No. An employee productivity tool tracks and monitors screen activities only during work hours. And, this is done with the user’s permission so there is no violation of privacy. However, it is crucial for employers to be transparent about what is being monitored and comply with the privacy protection laws.

Productivity tracking improves overall team performance by optimizing workflow and identifying the bottlenecks to productivity. It tracks and reports on employee productivity and gives details of unproductive time and activities. This not only provides the managers with information about areas of improvement but also pushes employees to be mindful of their activities during work hours.

The best practices for implementing productivity tracking in the workplace include -

• Being transparent about what is being monitored 
• Starting with a trial period so that everybody understands the system well
• Using the collected data responsibly and only for the stated purpose
• Reviewing the impact of the system on the organization regularly 

Further, you must talk to employees about the benefits, address their privacy and security concerns, and bring them on the same page with you before subscribing to any tracking app.

Reputable software like MeraMonitor uses encryption and strict security measures to protect the collected data. When you choose the right tool you can rest assured of the security of your employee data.