Monitoring Fatigue: When Pressure Masks Productivity
Burnout and task masking rise as monitoring increases
As return-to-office expectations grow, so does the use of employee monitoring software – and it’s changing how people show up at work. Many employees are feeling the pressure of increased oversight, leading not to better productivity, but to something known as task masking: work that appears productive on the surface but lacks real impact.
A recent report from Owl Labs found that 46% of workers say their company has increased digital monitoring over the past year. Nearly the same number say they’re concerned about how this information could be used. Some employees now spend time performing for the tools that track them—typing into blank documents, taking extra laps with their laptops, or using “mouse jigglers” to simulate activity.
At the heart of this trend isn’t a lack of motivation; it’s a symptom of growing burnout. Surveys show employee engagement is at a 10-year low, driven by return-to-office tension, AI-related uncertainty, and eroded boundaries between work and personal life. In this environment, monitoring without clear communication or trust can unintentionally encourage performative behaviors over meaningful contributions. One Zety survey found that 1 in 9 workers have left a job due to excessive monitoring, and 90% said it negatively affects morale.
What workers are asking for isn’t the absence of accountability—it’s trust, transparency, and a clear understanding of expectations. Owl Labs also found that 92% of employees rate supportive management as nearly equal in importance to compensation. That doesn’t mean less leadership; it means more connection, more check-ins with purpose, and a focus on outcomes over screen time.
For organizations, the opportunity is clear. By creating space for open communication, empowering managers with the tools to lead—not just oversee—and shifting focus from activity to results, companies can reduce burnout and build stronger, more engaged teams. After all, the goal isn’t to monitor harder—it’s to lead smarter.
