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Cognizant is reportedly bringing in new software to keep track of what employees do on their office laptops and computers. According to a Mint report, some workers are now being asked to use tools like ProHance, which measure how often a person uses their mouse or keyboard to check how active they are. The system was introduced around a month ago and shows the company’s growing interest in closely monitoring employee activity.
The software marks an employee as “idle” if they don’t touch their keyboard or mouse for more than 5 minutes. If the computer stays inactive for 15 minutes, the system assumes the person is away from their desk. The report says that the new system will be introduced gradually, and different teams may start using it at different times.
One of the biggest worries about this kind of tracking is that it might be used to judge employee performance. However, Cognizant has said that it will not use the data for performance reviews. Instead, the company says its main goal is to identify problem areas and improve work processes.
A Cognizant spokesperson told Mint that the company sometimes uses productivity tools for specific projects when clients request it. These tools help them understand how long certain tasks take and where there might be delays or inefficiencies.
Cognizant is also not alone in using such tracking software — companies like Wipro are already using tools like ProHance to monitor employee activity.
Cognizant has said that employees will only be monitored through ProHance if they agree to it. But some employees told Mint that the tool was introduced through a mandatory training program. The training included lessons on how ProHance tracks things like productive hours, time spent on each task, and how long employees use certain applications. One person said they had to click “I agree” to finish the course, which made the consent feel forced rather than optional.
According to the report, the main reason for this increased tracking is to make sure employees are actually working the required number of hours, even if they take breaks. Cognizant and its clients want higher productivity, and this detailed tracking is seen as a way to get a clearer view of how employees spend their time.
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