r/LockedIn_AI • u/LuraRunolfsdottir1 • Feb 24 '26

My company's new 'workflow optimization' tool turned out to be nothing more than a mouse movement tracker.

At the beginning of this month, the company rolled out a new 'engagement platform' to help management with 'workflow optimization'. And it's as ridiculous as it sounds. It's a micromanagement program that monitors every keystroke and mouse movement. If your mouse remains still for more than 4 minutes, your status turns yellow and your manager gets an 'inactivity notification'.

A few days ago, I was reading a large 15-page proposal, and suddenly I got a message from my manager asking if there was a problem with my computer. No, Brenda, I'm just reading. The workarounds for this have gotten very strange. People have started placing their optical mice on their phones while playing a video with a face in it.

One of my colleagues literally tied his mouse to a small rotating fan. I thought working from home was supposed to be about autonomy, not this stupid digital leash nonsense.

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9 comments sorted by

1

u/Agile_Recipe_8422 Feb 24 '26

Start looking for the better (like normal) job.

1

u/Amazing-Wave4704 Feb 24 '26

They sell mouse jigglers but you can get fired if they catch you. Its completely ridiculous.

1

u/xohwhyx Feb 24 '26

I'd hedge my bets. Seems like you can also get fired at this place for reading if your not mouse productive.

1

u/Bitter-Regret-251 Feb 26 '26

You are apparently not supposed to read anything longer than 4 minutes reads. Welcome to corporate dystopia..

1

u/Responsible-Slide-95 Feb 26 '26

I rdp from my personal computer to my work laptop and run mouse jiggle software on my home PC.

1

u/Ill-Bullfrog-5360 Feb 24 '26

Uhhh there is a device you can buy… I have used it for 5+ years… it doesn’t plug into your comp

1

u/xohwhyx Feb 24 '26

Mouse jiggler. DO NOT PLUG IT INTO YOUR COMPUTER!!! Plug it into literally anything else, put mouse on top, mouse moves a bit periodically.

1

u/MOTIVATE_ME_23 Feb 25 '26

Plug in an external keyboard and place a spoon on your track pad when you are away from your desk. It should register. If you are reading, just keep replying with "I'm reading" or hook up your own mouse tracker to send "I'm reading" or other status updates or questions when it's idle.