Latest news with #AliceLang
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Big Brother is watching you: Growing number of Brits working from home being spied on by bosses to make sure they are not skiving
Staff who enjoy the freedom of working from home may soon find that Big Brother is watching. A growing number of companies are trialling a new method of ensuring staff stay glued to their desks - by keeping them on constant video calls all day. The system, known as 'body doubling', involves two or more employees working side-by-side over Zoom or Microsoft Teams, often without saying a word. The idea is that the virtual presence of a colleague makes workers less likely to slack off, gives bosses more oversight and may help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Originally developed to help children with ADHD focus in school, the system has been repackaged by HR departments as a tool to boost productivity and reduce feelings of isolation in the age of remote working. But critics say the practice is intrusive and demeaning. One employee at a company that recently introduced body doubling told The Times: 'Sometimes it feels a bit much. I don't really want someone monitoring my every move. It can feel quite Big Brother-y being watched in your own home.' Despite the criticism, a study by the University of East London using virtual co-working platform Flown found it helped improve focus and productivity. Businesses are keen to get people back at their desks, believing it helps to boost productivity Alice Lang, a digital PR executive, uses body doubling twice a week and says it helps her stay on track. 'It's a good middle ground - I still get to work from home, but with a bit of company when I need it,' she said. Workplace consultant William Arruda warned the practice should remain voluntary, saying it could backfire for those who prefer working in peace. 'Some people thrive in silence and solitude,' he said. 'I do think it could feel a bit uncomfortable if it were something imposed by a company. It's nice having the flexibility to do it, or not, depending on how I'm feeling.' It comes as business leaders blame the rise of home working for Britain's sluggish economic recovery. Lord Rose, former chairman of Asda, warned it has 'set the economy back 20 years', claiming some people have forgotten how to do 'proper work'. Major firms such as Amazon, JP Morgan, Sports Direct and Boots have launched a drive to ensure head office staff now have to be in the office every day. Lloyds Banking Group has threatened to cut bonuses if workers fail to make an appearance at least twice a week. Just over a quarter of people (26 per cent) in the UK are hybrid-working, with 13 per cent fully remote and 41 per cent fully office-based. The trend began during the pandemic in 2020 when the Government ordered millions of workers to stay at home to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19. As lockdown restrictions were eased, many workers enjoyed the flexibility being at home offered for childcare as well as saved time and money by not commuting. But this has put many workers on a collision course with bosses who now want them in the office more, with some even threatening or taking strike action.
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Home workers kept under watch to stop them skiving
Home workers are being kept under watch almost constantly by some companies through a form of video monitoring partly designed to prevent staff from slacking. The practice, known as 'body doubling', encourages remote workers to remain on all-day video calls with one or more colleagues, essentially carrying out their tasks in the presence of others. While they do not necessarily need to interact, the on-screen presence of others allows employers to have more oversight over staff and ensure they remain at their desks. Originally developed as a support tool for children with ADHD, body doubling is now being promoted by some human resources departments as an aid for adults who work from home. Employers experimenting with the system have reported that it improved the output of home workers. Advocates also claimed it can reduce feelings of isolation among staff. A study by the University of East London, which surveyed 101 users of the virtual co-working platform Flown, found that the majority said the method improved concentration and productivity. Alice Lang, a senior digital PR executive at Marketing Signals, uses body doubling twice a week. 'I love working remotely and appreciate the flexibility it brings, but I do sometimes miss the everyday chat that comes with an office,' she told The Times. 'Body doubling feels like the perfect middle ground for people like me. I still get to work from home, but with some company when I need it. It's also been great for keeping me focused, especially on days when motivation is a bit low.' However, one remote worker at a firm that recently introduced body doubling said it 'can feel quite Big Brother-y' being visible on camera throughout the day. The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Sometimes it feels a bit much. I don't really want someone monitoring my every move. It can feel quite Big Brother-y being watched in your own home for hours at a time.' William Arruda, a workplace consultant, said the system has its pitfalls. He said employees could fall into the 'chit-chat trap', adding there was also the potential for 'privacy problems'. Mr Arruda said the model would not suit all employees and should be optional because 'some people thrive in silence and solitude'. He added: 'I do think it could feel a bit uncomfortable if it were something imposed by a company. It's nice having the flexibility to do it, or not, depending on how I'm feeling.' The rise in working from home since the pandemic has repeatedly been blamed for Britain's sluggish productivity growth. Lord Rose, the former chairman of Asda, has claimed the rise in people working from home has set Britain's economy back by 20 years. In January, when asked if the UK could afford to work from home, Lord Rose told BBC One's Panorama programme: 'I don't believe it can. 'This country is in a parlous place, we have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country's wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four. 'We are creating a whole generation and probably a generation beyond that of people who are used to actually not doing what I call proper work. 'I believe that productivity is less good if you work from home. I believe that your personal development suffers, that you're not going to develop as well as you might if you've been in the workplace as long as I have.'
