Your Clock-Watching Boss Sucks—But at Least He's Not This Bad

Updated 6/19/2020

The employee-tracking advice by OccupEye, is said to address environmental issues, but for staff members at The Daily Telegraph, it probably feels more like a cruel joke.

You know those evenings when you patiently sit and wait for your boss to leave so you can take off, too? While sticking around the office for face-time’s sake is annoying and maybe unnecessary, it doesn’t come close to having your actual movements tracked by your manager and company—as The Daily Telegraph has just begun doing.

Instead of simply closely monitoring your arrival and departure times, now the higher-ups at the newspaper can get a daily report of your presence—or lack thereof—via the help of a (terrifying) little device called OccupEye.

These calculating machines have been installed under the desks of Daily Telegraph staff members, reports a BuzzFeed article published earlier this morning. The small, black box enables companies to engage in a real-time tracking system, allowing (according to the product’s website) “users [to] enjoy absolute control over data reporting and analysis.” Bosses will, in effect, be able to see when a person is at his desk—and when he isn’t.

Since word (and, I’d guess, anger and confusion) has seeped out since the stealthy installment of the accessory, The Daily Telegraph has backpedaled and hurriedly explained the purpose of the devices. BuzzFeed claims the company refused request for comment, however the newspaper did say (via a company-wide email) that OccupEye is part of an environmental initiative intended to “make our floors in the building as energy efficient as possible” while reducing “the amount of power we consume for heating, lighting, and cooling the building at times of low usage.”

Personally, I think this sounds like an unlikely story, and yet one that simultaneously makes us pretty OK with our bosses who keep diligent track of our desk time—without the use of a tracking device one might put on a dog’s collar.

What’s next? Giving new employees an iPhone and making “share your location” a basic job requirement?

Photo of desk with no one sitting at it courtesy of Shutterstock.

Stacey Lastoe started writing short stories in the second grade and is immensely grateful to have the opportunity to write and edit professionally. Her work has appeared in YouBeauty, Refinery29, A Practical Wedding, Runner's World online, and The Billfold among other publications. She enjoys running and eating in equal measure and lives with her husband and dog in Brooklyn. All three of them are avid New York Mets fans. Say hello on @stacespeaks.