Company introduces new "security badges" which track employee movements, productivity, and even bathroom breaks, employees cease all communication to management, leading to production issues: 'Cost the company $50k in repairs and lost production'

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  • "They tracked our bathroom breaks. Now nobody talks to management about anything."

    My company installed badge scanners at every door about six months ago. Said it was "for security purposes" but we all knew what it was really for. Two weeks later management starts having one on ones asking why certain people are "away from their desks so frequently."
  • Employees look seriously at their phones while on a break drinking coffee
  • Turns out they were tracking our bathroom breaks, how long we took for lunch, everything. My coworker got pulled aside because she was "spending too much time in the break room." She has IBS. That was a fun HR complaint.
  • But here's where it backfired spectacularly. People stopped talking to management about ANYTHING. Before, if you saw a problem or had an idea, you'd just walk over and mention it. Now? Nobody moves unless absolutely necessary. That means nobody's catching issues before they become expensive disasters.
  • Last month a machine broke down because nobody wanted to walk across the building to tell the supervisor about a weird noise. Cost the company $50k in repairs and lost production. When management asked why nobody said anything, the response was "didn't want it to look like I was away from my desk too long."
  • Now they're doing mandatory "collaboration sessions" trying to figure out why communication has completely died. We all just sit there in silence. Nobody's explaining that we're doing exactly what they wanted - staying at our desks and not moving around unnecessarily. The tracking is still active. Communication is still dead. It's honestly beautiful to watch.
  • Employees check their phone while on a shared break
  • Ethel_Marie That's some amazing collective malicious compliance.
  • AppropriateTwo9038 sounds like management shot themselves in the foot
  • coco_bubble My work (Drs office) had us put an app on our personal cell phones to clock in and out. When you are clocked in, it tracks your movement. One manager was giggling about knowing how long we were in the bathroom, only man in the office mind you. I turned my location tracking off, and was called into his office for "timecard fraud". But if you turn the tracking off, it clocks you out. So you have to be tracked to get paid. Now I clock in at my desk, and leave my phone on my desk for 8 s
  • Squirrely_Dan Can't wait for companies to start putting a limit on the amount of their potable water I'm allowed to consume on the property during work hours.
  • Squirrely_Dan Can't wait for companies to start putting a limit on the amount of their potable water I'm allowed to consume on the property during work hours.

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