Wall Street bank Wells Fargo recently dismissed over a dozen employees following allegations of falsified keyboard activity intended to simulate productivity.

The firings, disclosed in filings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra), involved staff primarily from the bank’s investment and wealth management divisions. According to the filings, the employees either resigned or were terminated after investigations revealed they had simulated keyboard activity to give the impression of active work.

The rise of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic led many companies, including Wells Fargo to adopt sophisticated employee monitoring tools. These technologies track keystrokes, eye movements, and online activity. In response, some employees have turned to tools such as “mouse jigglers” to evade detection, mimicking active computer use.

The use of these kinds of employee montoring tools comes with myriad murky ethical implications and, beyond that, their efficacy is questionable.

In a 2022 Harvard Businsess Review piece, researchers asked 200 U.S.-based employees to complete a series of tasks, and told half of them that they would be working under electronic surveillance. They were then given an opportunity to cheat. It was found that those who were told they were being monitored were actually more likely to cheat than those who didn’t think they were being monitored.

When surveyed, it was found that participants in the survey who were monitored were more likely to report that the ‘authority figure overseeing their surveillance was responsible for their behavior, while the employees who weren’t monitored were more likely to take responsibility for their actions.’

Wells Fargo’s recent actions reflect a broader trend within the financial sector, where firms are increasingly calling employees back to the office. New Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra) regulations in the US, which mandate periodic inspections of home offices used by brokers, have added pressure on companies to ensure compliance and accountability.

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In January, Barclays and Citigroup mandated a return to five-day office work weeks for hundreds of employees, citing the new regulatory requirements. Similarly, Wells Fargo has enforced a hybrid work model since February 2022, requiring most employees to be in the office at least three days a week, with management committee members expected four days a week.

“Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behavior,” said Laurie Kight, a spokesperson for the bank.

The Finra filings did not detail the specific methods used to fake keyboard activity, but the issue has highlighted the challenges of maintaining productivity and integrity in a hybrid work environment.