Latest news with #bodydoubling
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.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can body doubling make us more productive at work?
Even if you love working from home, it can be hard to focus sometimes. Whether you're trying to engage your brain in the morning or finishing off a dull admin task, distractions can easily pull you off course. There are many different ways to stop your mind wandering and stay productive. Some people rely on regular schedules, or create a dedicated distraction-free workspace. But others swear that having a "body double" — someone to work alongside them physically or virtually — helps them stay on track. Body doubling is a productivity strategy in which you work alongside someone else. It's thought to help you stay focused, engaged and motivated by creating an environment of shared presence and accountability. The other person doesn't need to engage in the same task, or even provide direct help. Instead, body doubling relies on the simple principle that having company can make a hard task easier. Body doubling is frequently recommended as a useful technique for individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as engaging in positive social interactions may boost dopamine levels and support task completion. Studies indicate that people with ADHD might have naturally lower dopamine levels or problems with dopamine regulation, which could contribute to challenges with maintaining focus. Read more: How to work multiple jobs without burning out 'The idea is to work alongside someone — whether you're tackling the same task or completely different ones. Just being near another person who's working can help you stay focused and fight off distractions,' says Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume. 'You don't need to have someone physically next to you for it to work. A lot of remote workers hop on Zoom with colleagues, friends, or even strangers, while some use virtual co-working apps to stay motivated and beat loneliness.' Despite the popularity of body doubling on social media, much of the evidence supporting the benefits is anecdotal. However, researchers have proposed several theories to explain how body doubling works. First, it may cultivate a sense of gentle accountability that draws you to your work, says Nic Smith, a consulting director at Step Inside Group. 'It may lead to a reduction in cognitive load,' says Smith. 'The presence of a body double creates accountability, therefore reducing the need to self-monitor. This, in turn alleviates strain on the prefrontal cortex.' Body doubling may also enhance dopamine levels and motivation, particularly for those with ADHD or other conditions affecting executive functioning. This is thought to be due to social interactions stimulating the brain's reward circuitry. 'We know that ADHD is associated with impaired motivation and task initiation which is often attributed to dopamine dysregulation,' says Smith. 'Having a body double may stimulate social reward — a sense of recognised self-satisfaction — and indirectly boost dopamine which makes perceived mundane tasks more engaging.' Read more: How 'mum brain' stigma is holding women back at work Social Facilitation Theory, a concept first proposed in 1898 by American psychologist Norman Triplett, may also be at play. It refers to the finding that people sometimes show an increased level of effort and improved performance when they're around other people, or they think they're in the presence of others. There are two key effects thought to be underpinning the theory — the "co-action effect", the idea that your task performance increases purely from having another person present doing the same task, and the "audience effect" which suggests that the presence or idea of an audience can affect your performance. So when we're working alongside a friend, we may be more likely to get things done — and do them well. While the exact science behind body doubling isn't fully understood, it's clear that humans are inherently social beings. With loneliness and isolation on the rise, particularly among remote workers, mental health is taking a hit. That's why collaborating with others, even in a virtual space, can have a positive impact. If you have a few friends who work remotely, organise somewhere to work together once or twice a week. Or, if you're a hybrid worker, ask a colleague if they want to do body doubling sessions on your work-from-home days. 'For in-person body doubling, you can find a colleague, housemate, friend, or family member to join you,' says Smith. For virtual or hybrid options, you can set up video calls. There are also YouTube channels dedicated to "working" or "studying" alongside other people to create passive, background doubling. Co-working spaces, cafes and libraries can offer subtle body doubling too, as well as ambient background noise. There are even apps and platforms, like Cofocus or Focusmate, which match users for virtual coworking sessions. 'Having someone nearby, even virtually, while you work can make it easier to start and stay focused,' says Heather Darwall-Smith, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy. 'It is great for tackling boring or overwhelming tasks. Try virtual co-working sessions or connect with a friend on speakerphone.' Read more: How to ask an employer about flexible working without explicitly asking How 'emotional labour' is fuelling burnout How to manage rejection when job huntingError while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
