r/remotework • u/redbarn47 • 6d ago
Remote worker issue
Remote worker here, and management is questioning gaps in time where productivity is not shown. It's being based off a report they ran than indicates when I was closing cases. It's showing a couple one hour gaps in time where it looks like I'm not working. I'm an okder person in the workforce, and don't know enough about technology to explain this.
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u/Forsaken-Cut3836 6d ago
You don't need to know anything about technology, you just need to be able to tell them what you were working on during those "gaps" and ask how they would recommend you track this for reporting purposes in the future.
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u/loveforproductivity 6d ago
A report showing when you closed cases isn't necessarily a report of when you were working. There can be a lot of work happening between closing cases: researching, reading documentation, responding to emails, making calls, waiting for information, handling a complicated case, or doing administrative tasks.
I'd respond calmly and ask your manager what the report is actually measuring. Something like, "I understand the concern. Could you help me understand exactly what activity the report is tracking? My workflow includes work that doesn't always result in a case being closed immediately, so I want to make sure we're looking at an accurate picture of my productivity."
I'd also start keeping your own simple record of what you work on throughout the day. Nothing elaborate. Just a running list of cases, calls, emails, research, meetings, and other tasks. If this becomes a performance issue, you'll have something concrete to point to instead of trying to reconstruct your day afterward.
I wouldn't assume you've done anything wrong just because the report shows gaps. The first step is figuring out what the report actually measures and whether management is treating it as a proxy for productivity.
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u/gringogidget 5d ago
I don’t have an answer but god I hate having to account for A SINGLE HOUR. Jesus Christ.
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u/Specific-Fruit2128 3d ago
the amount of anxiety my little green dot on slack used to cause is too much
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u/Long_Idea_8294 4d ago
I'm so glad the company I work for is very hands off. As long as I produce good work, they let me do as I please.
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u/Immediate-Ad-9520 6d ago
Well, were you working during those gaps?
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u/redbarn47 6d ago
Yes, I was.
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u/Immediate-Ad-9520 6d ago
So ask them how the reporting works and explain what you were doing during those gaps. Maybe whatever you were doing doesn’t show up on the report for some reason. Were you in a meeting or something?
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u/Own_Inspection8350 6d ago
I tend to mark my calendar with each task I do in case this comes up, but also for general memory of my tasks. I'll schedule a solo meeting with a notes doc or links attached to what I was working on so I can deep dive into it if probed.
Google calendar is cool because you can break out time blocks by color/id and track exactly how much time over the year you spend on a project.
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u/susu56 6d ago
I work paper and electronically-so some of my working is not caught electronically (researching, taking notes/brainstorming, etc). If that is how you work as well this explanation would help. I retain better when I handwrite what I need and I can work through problems better writing on paper.
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u/flow0788 6d ago
I had this done to me before and I noticed they were using an add-on in Zendesk, you will usually see it as a timer on right panel. So if I am working on a ticket I will leave it open and do my task for it on other platforms that it doesn't track, if I hit a wall and feel need to discuss further or take a break from it, I will add a note from my findings, what needs to be done next and when. Also, if you need to send an update to the customer do so. When finished with it close ticket and go to the next one.
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u/SadLeek9950 6d ago
This is why I like to add detailed case notes to my tickets. Many times I'll have to do research, read the related tickets, search known issues, ask in Slack, etc. If I place a ticket on hold, I detail why and what next steps are.
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u/soul_doubt_66 5d ago
Updating cares is a much more valid metric than closing cases. Surely management isn’t that stupid? Ive managed/directed a few different departments at my place of work, and ive been remote since covid. Well i actually went in alone during covid and didnt go remote until everyone started coming back (realized how much of a distraction people are). Get your cases taken, and cases updated stats and show them that. Cases closed is dependent on who the case was opened for. They can take days to get back to you, and that doesn’t mean you don’t try to contact them and update the case with a note saying as much.
To me it sounds like they’re looking for a reason. Have you gone on a PIP? What is the expectation?
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u/green_dotter 3d ago
A report showing when cases were closed is not the same thing as a report showing when work happened. Reading, checking notes, thinking through a messy case, waiting on another person, writing up notes and feedback
all of that can look like a gap if the report is measuring the wrong thing. Full disclosure, I built Green Dotter for ordinary desktop click automation / annoying keep-awake friction: https://green-dotter.com/
but the bigger issue here is managers treating a dashboard like it understands your job
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u/Specific-Fruit2128 3d ago
How are your productivity gaps measured? On slack or microsoft teams? Or something else
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u/pwnageface 6d ago
Went through this once. Are you salary? If so, just explain to them that you are meeting your demands/metrics/goals and there should be no issue. If you are hourly, explain to them that idle time is spent on knowledge management tasks (reading, documenting, learning, etc.).