Employee discovers that IT is monitoring his every move via his work phone, confronts boss immediately: 'They're trying to listen and track everything we're doing'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Mar 11, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Being an employee does not mean that you relinquish the right to be left alone. No one wants to feel monitored at all times, and anyone who has been monitored knows that the feeling of being watched only impedes productivity. It's never the other way around. 

When you're being surveilled, it naturally messes with your psyche. You may question every move and every decision. It may even bring you back to feeling like you're in school, when teachers would walk up and down the aisles during exams and study halls to make sure you were working productively. The difference, of course, is that contrary to what any manager would like to think, you are a fully autonomous adult human with the ability to discern how you get your own work done.

Keep scrolling below for this story about an employee who realized his phone was being tracked by his boss!

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    Prost- LCS ater Sumt MacBook Pro
    via Austin Distel

  • Imagine turning your work phone off so you can get some uninterrupted silence while completing a project in your office. Then, imagine that this phone somehow magically turns itself back on immediately after you powered it down. Imagine you go through this process again, only for the phone to automatically turn on again. It would not take long to put two and two together and realize that your work phone is being closely monitored. Here's the tale of how an employee stood up to his manager after discovering the various ways he was being tracked at work!

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    I was busy one day and didn't immediately call the manager back (they rarely answer if anyone calls). they then had IT remotely access the work phone and start going through everything demanding to know why the ringer was on vibrate, and then muted. at that point I was really creeped out and chose not to call back. It was not an emergency. It was something that could be communicated in an email (note for an account).
    via ieb94
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    The next day they said they've been going through my work phone remotely (I knew this because an ex employee alerted me before they quit) and we need to have a meeting "to go over a few things" and get me a new phone. End of day I powered the phone down. It turned on by itself less than 30 seconds later. Powered down again. Turned on right after. Clearly they're trying to listen and track everything we're doing.
    via ieb94
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    They also listen to us through the system in the work vehicles (camera for "insurance purposes aka to track people. why do they need to record audio and not just video???)
    via ieb94
  • 05
    Randomly access the phones. they have permissions set on everything locked so we can't even turn anything off to save battery power. I am looking for a new job immediately. not even the first insane behavior this management team has done. complete and total invasion of privacy. I refuse to bring any company tech inside my house.
    via ieb94
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    Last time they demanded an in person meeting it was a 50 min I session about how I'm too negative and bringing down morale. I had told one of the managers about a bad ex client and how I was getting tired.
    via ieb94
  • 07
    Really, really not ok with how all these companies feel its their right to monitor, record, and control every aspect of the employee.
    via ieb94
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    Cheezburger Image 10478428672
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    Otherwise-Topic-1791 16 hr. ago If possible I'd start leaving it at work, but that's me. If you aren't being paid for on-call then they don't get on-call.
    via ieb94
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    accidentallybald 16 hr. ago I wonder how they're remotely turning it on? Also the legality of listening remotely?
    via ieb94
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    JesusOnaBlueBike - 15 hr. ago Buy a Faraday bag for your phone.
    via ieb94
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    PortableAnchor - 16 hr. ago 12 volt charger would fix it. Seriously, if you're not on-call and getting paid for it, then leave it in your car or lock it in your desk drawer. If they are bugging your house, then call the cops.
    via ieb94
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    Sieve-Boy 14 hr. ago Can I introduce you to our Lord and Saviour Michael Faraday? Let him cage up your work phone.
    via ieb94
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    panic_button760 - 14 hr. ago If you are in a 2 party consent state what they are doing is very much illegal
    via ieb94
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    • stoptheinsanityleak 10 hr. ago Just take medical tape and put over the mic mouth piece and camera. Remove when using. No residue. Blurred picture and unclear sound. Works perfect
    via ieb94
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    sparkyblaster 11 hr. ago Wrap it in tin foil ASAP if you cant shut it down.
    via ieb94
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    KidenStormsoarer · 5 hr. ago. edited 5 hr. ago nope, that, that's phone's staying at work 24/7. if i'm not on the clock, it gets plugged in at work and left there, and if they want it to be secured, they can provide a way to lock it up there, because it's sure not going home with me. as
    via ieb94
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    now, make sure to record and take notes at this meeting, find out exactly what he has to say...maybe he'll be stupid enough to implicate himself. then it's time to have a meeting with HR about illegal monitoring and tracking of employee movements.
    via ieb94
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    NotYourKidFromMoTown 8 hr. ago Microwave it.
    via ieb94

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workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work overworked-employees Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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