Boss pushes for 'virtual office' that pings management when you're idle: 'How do I push back without sounding shady?'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jun 21, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Should you expect to be constantly monitored at work?

Surveillance is a huge part of our world these days. Our lives have been taken over by technology, and there is not a lot we can do about it, except choose how we engage with it. But we don't really get to choose how we engage with it at work. Our bosses and higher-ups tend to choose the programs and platforms we're engaging with at our places of work. Things are moving at a rapid pace, though, and new technologies are being introduced all the time. That's what was happening to one worker, who shared their story on the antiwork subreddit. Their boss wanted a new way to keep track of their employee's performance. This is a somewhat natural thing to want, but we have to question the modes and methods how it came about. We don't have to just accept everything wholesale, we can stand up for what we want and what we need. That's what this employee was trying to do, when their boss came to them with a new idea for tracking productivity. But from the employee's point of view, it was needless surveillance. You don't want to be watched when it's not worth it. Everyone has a different way of doing their job, and it's not always going to look like you're wholly productive all the time. It's not good to be constantly interrupted when you're trying to do something. You need peace and quiet. 

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antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace
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