As it quickly became clear that the nature of work needed to dramatically shift to remote models, online searches for “employee monitoring” exploded. It’s clear that leadership felt a distinct fear of loss because they couldn’t physically be in the same place as their employees. Now that we’re nearly two years into the new normal, how has this desire to keep an eye on remote employees worked out? First, it’s important to know that the fears about productivity decline were mostly imaginary. Many studies have shown that output has not decreased during the pandemic, and in some cases, workers were more productive. But what of managers who wanted software-based solutions to keep an eye on things? For the most part, it’s backfired. One study of monitored remote workers showed 56 percent felt more stress than their nonmonitored counterparts, and 41 percent reported a constant feeling of being watched. Despite the intention, it’s clear that these programs are another form of micromanagement and that bolstering trust, flexibility, and transparency will go a lot further in ensuring continued productivity than playing Big Brother.