The revelation is part of a study conducted by Kinly, titled Trusted Connections 2024, which surveyed 425 enterprise professionals across the UK, Germany, Nordics, and the Netherlands.

The survey found that nearly half (44%) of all enterprises surveyed are currently collecting data on employees’ home working hours. Additionally, 33% of respondents revealed their intentions to implement similar monitoring systems in the future.

The research also uncovered that 65% of enterprises are actively encouraging staff to integrate Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their homes, while a third (33%) are investing in analytics platforms to monitor remote workers’ activities.

One of the key motivations behind these monitoring initiatives is to safeguard employee wellbeing, which has become increasingly challenging as more workers transition to remote environments. 

32% of respondents stated that their organisations are now collecting wellbeing data, such as ‘tiredness indicators,’ from remote staff, with an additional 37% planning to track similar metrics in the future.

Moreover, over a quarter (28%) of enterprises are collecting environmental data, including lighting and air quality, from employees’ homes, with 36% planning to do so in the future.

“For years enterprises have been able to maximise both the productivity and wellbeing of staff within the office environment. Now, that’s all changing.” said Tom Martin, CEO of Kinly.

“With so many employees working from home, businesses can no longer guarantee a high-quality work environment. The result is people working longer hours, in conditions that wouldn’t have been acceptable at the office.”

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While employee wellbeing remains a paramount concern, the study also identified other challenges associated with hybrid working models. 57% of respondents reported that poor hybrid workflows are adversely affecting staff productivity, while 27% face issues related to decentralised or siloed data. 

Furthermore, 58% cited outdated AV technology as a hindrance to the overall productivity of remote employees.

“IoT technology is becoming an increasingly popular way to address this, using at-home AV equipment to monitor everything from air quality, to working hours and screen time. Of course, adopting this tech means being transparent with employees. It cannot be used without their express consent.”