Best Ways to Monitor Employees Working from Home in 2025

What Features to Look for in a Remote Employee Monitoring Software

Picking the right remote employee monitoring software can change how you manage a dispersed team. Work from home employee monitoring software is a must for ensuring productivity and efficient time tracking. It’ll provide the oversight you need without feeling invasive.

Let’s explore the key features you should focus on to get the right productivity metrics:

Time Tracking and Employee Attendance

A solid time tracking for remote workers system helps track work hours and activities efficiently. It ensures transparency and accuracy in reporting.

If you're looking for a system, here’s what you’ll want:

Automatic & Manual Time Tracking

Look for software like the Apploye Time Tracker, which gives you both automatic and manual time-tracking options.

Manual tracking lets you control when the clock starts and stops, while automatic tracking removes human errors.

So, you get the best of both worlds, flexibility when you need it and accuracy when it counts.

Attendance Management

Managing sick days, vacations, and other time-off requests should be simple.

The WFH employee monitoring software should track all that without a hitch. It should keep records clean and manage absences smoothly.

Timesheet Generation

Another must-have feature for the remote teams working from home software is a timesheet for employees.

You can see their accurate attendance organized in a neat timesheet. It will be automatically generated.

The timesheet mainly breaks down your tasks, projects, spent hours, etc. It's useful mainly for reporting, performance reviewing, and client or project billing.

Productivity Monitoring

To track work-from-home employee performance correctly, the remote employee time monitoring software should include the following features:

Screen Capture & Recording

Track employee computer activity with screen recording. With this feature, capturing visual proof of work is simple and doesn't feel invasive.

Here’s what you get with the Apploye Time Tracking with Screenshots app:

• Random Screenshots: Automatically get periodic screenshots to see idle periods of the employees on their computers.

• Manual Screenshots: Admins take a screenshot of any employee's screen whenever needed.

• Configurable Frequency: Adjust how often screenshots are taken to monitor correctly.
• Screen Records: Monitor activity continuously to prevent employees from exploiting loopholes in scheduled screenshots.

Keystroke Log and Mouse Movement Track

Keystroke Logging tracks how many keystrokes an employee types. It can give you a rough idea of their increased productivity.

But remember, just counting keystrokes doesn’t guarantee how productive someone is. It’s more useful when combined with other indicators.

Also, mouse movement keeps tabs on how often and intensely someone uses their mouse.

If there’s no mouse activity for some time, the person might be taking a break or deep in thought. On the flip side, lots of mouse movement could mean they’re actively working.

App and URL Monitoring

The apps & URL reports functionality allows admins to check what employees are doing during work hours.

Tracking which apps employees use during work hours can give you a clearer picture of where their time goes.

Are they getting distracted, or could they use better tools to boost productivity?

You can know this and ensure your workers stay focused on work-related tasks by keeping an eye on the apps and websites they visit when working. Monitoring distracting activities like excessive social media activity can help maintain focus during work hours.

But you also have to maintain privacy. It’s all about finding that sweet spot between monitoring employees and restricting their online activities unfairly.

Idle Time Detection

Unproductive time detection is a handy feature that spots when employees are away from their desks. 

Get an app like Apploye Online Time Tracking for remote teams that automatically tracks inactivity. It uses smart algorithms to figure out when someone’s been idle. 

These algorithms look at things like keystrokes, mouse movements, and how often different applications are used.

Project Management

Project management features built into monitoring software for employees working outside the office will keep things organized. Consider adding project management through integration capabilities to your monitoring tools to ensure tasks and deadlines. It even works for teams spread across different locations.

You can assign tasks, track time spent, progress, and manage deadlines all in one place.

By bringing project management into these platforms, teams get a central hub to work together smoothly. 

It makes sure projects stay on course and deliverables get done, no matter where everyone’s working from. It keeps all team members connected and on the same page.

And detailed insights into project progress help managers make informed decisions.

User Experience and Integration

A user-friendly and well-integrated software can significantly enhance its effectiveness. So, consider these factors:

• Easy to Use: The software should be simple both for employees and managers. A user-friendly design removes the learning curve and makes it easy to get started.

• Mobile-Friendly: It should work well on personal devices. This flexibility lets employees track activities whether working from home or on the go. A robust mobile app ensures team members can stay connected from anywhere.

• Seamless Integrations: Choose software that connects smoothly with your existing tools, like project management apps, HR systems, and communication platforms. This minimizes manual data entry.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

This feature of the WFH worker monitoring tool is crucial for protecting sensitive company information.

When employees are working from home, there’s a higher risk of data breaches. It can occur from unauthorized access, accidental downloads, or intentional theft.

DLP observes what employees are doing by checking file transfers, email monitoring, and clipboard usage. The system monitors file transfers to prevent data leaks.

It helps catch and block any attempts to copy, download, or share confidential data outside the company.

This way, the data stays secure and the company remains compliant with industry regulations, even when everyone is working remotely.

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Legal & Ethical Monitoring Best Practices for Remote Employees

Working from home is super common now. And are many negative effects of employee monitoring.

So, how do companies keep an eye on what employees are doing legally and ethically?

Let's talk about how to track remote workers in a way that's fair and follows the rules:

1. Inform Employees and Obtain Consent

Never track your workers in secret! Make sure they know:

• What data is being collected (e.g., work hours, app usage, location).
• How it will be used (e.g., for productivity tracking, security).
• Who will have access to it.

In some places with strict privacy laws (such as GDPR in the EU or CCPA in California), you may also need explicit written consent.

Pro Tip: Include monitoring details in your employment contracts, onboarding materials, and remote work policy.

2. Monitor Only Work-Related Activities

Just focus on work activities. Don't collect personal info that has nothing to do with their job. This includes private messages or what they do after work hours.

Remember: Only track during work hours and on work computers, unless you've clearly told them otherwise.

3. Limit Data Collection to What’s Necessary

Only gather the data you really need. Don't spy on everything just because you can. Avoid "blanket" surveillance or over-monitoring.

Examples of appropriate tracking:

• Project deadlines and task completion.
• Usage of assigned work applications.
• Clock-in and clock-out times on work systems.

4. Maintain Strong Data Security

Implementing strong cybersecurity measures to protect all that tracking data. For instance:

• Use encrypted servers for storage.
• Restrict access only to authorized personnel (e.g., HR or compliance officers).
• Regularly review who has access to monitoring reports.

Quick Tip: Always update your tracking software to fix any security problems.

5. Be Transparent About Data Review and Usage

Employees should know:

• When you look at their tracking data during reviews.
• How that data impacts evaluations, promotions, or disciplinary actions.
• Being honest builds trust, so workers don't feel like you're spying on them.

6. Follow All Applicable Laws and Regulations

Remote employee monitoring must comply with:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in California.
• Federal Wiretap Act and similar national communication monitoring laws (U.S.).

Ethical remote monitoring ensures employees feel respected, secure, and trusted. It also empowers employers to maintain high productivity and data security standards.

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Employee monitoring laws

What are the Challenges of Remote Work Monitoring?

Remote work time tracking can be tough for both employees and employers. Here are some common challenges:

Privacy Concerns

One of the challenges of effective workforce monitoring is maintaining privacy. Nobody likes the feeling that they’re being watched all day. 

It can make them feel uncomfortable while working. Finding the right balance between monitoring and privacy can be tricky.

Over-Monitoring

Too much tracking can stress out remote workers. It makes them feel micromanaged, which affects productivity. 

For instance, in 2021, France fined Amazon $35 million for its "excessively intrusive" monitoring of warehouse staff. 

The company used technology that tracked employees' every move, including their bathroom breaks and the time spent walking between different parts of the warehouse. 

Such over-monitoring was deemed to infringe on workers' privacy rights and create a toxic work environment. You should have the right knowledge on how to monitor remote workers.

Measuring Productivity

When people work from home, it’s not a good practice to watch them the same way as in an office. What matters most is to best know how to manage a remote workforce, and know how good their work is. 

However, monitoring virtual team output is harder to quantify. Sometimes, it’s a new challenge to figure out what to measure.

Also, finding the right balance between control and the autonomy of team members is essential.

Technology Issues

Technology isn’t always reliable. You may face issues with the internet, software glitches, and hardware failures. All these highly impact effective time tracking for remote employees.

Data Security

Some of the tools that are designed for work from home employee monitoring need access to sensitive information. Without proper handling, it poses potential security risks. This puts personal and company data at risk.

For instance, in April 2020, over 530,000 Zoom user accounts, including email addresses, passwords, and personal meeting URLs, were exposed and sold on dark web forums. 

This breach led to unauthorized access to meetings, data theft, and disruptions like "Zoombombing." 

Lack of Trust

There’s a fine line when it comes to monitoring remote employees. If you go overboard, it can break down trust. 

People don’t want to feel like they’re being watched all the time, and constant oversight can be demotivating.

To supervise work from home monitoring, you’ll require a lot of self-discipline. Employees also need room to prove they can stay on track without someone monitoring them continuously.

Legal and Ethical Issues

When figuring out how to manage work at home employees, you need to balance accountability and privacy. 61% of IT security leaders report that remote workers have caused data breaches since the pandemic began.

For instance, you can follow laws like the GDPR or CCPA. These regulate how you collect and use employee data.

If you’re gathering personal information without their clear consent or without being upfront about it, it may get you in trouble. 

In 2020, the German Data Protection Authority fined H&M €35.3 million for illegally surveilling several hundred employees at its Nuremberg service center. 

The company collected detailed personal information about employees, including their private lives, without their knowledge or consent.

So, it’s important to check how work is going, but not too much. If workers feel like someone’s always watching, it can make them nervous or upset. Monitoring for inappropriate behavior should be balanced with respect for privacy.

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As you can see, tracking working from home employees can be a bit challenging. However, with the best employee monitoring tools in the table below, you can easily overcome these challenges.

How Monitoring Remote Employees Drives Business Growth

Some of the notable benefits of managing employees working remotely using the best remote employee monitoring software:

Boosts Productivity

Monitoring remote employee productivity is essential for improving team efficiency and performance. By tracking work hours and activities, WFH employees stay more focused and use their time efficiently.

Enhances Accountability

Knowing their activities are monitored, employees are more likely to meet deadlines and maintain high standards.

Improves Resource Allocation

Data insights help managers distribute workloads effectively and identify areas that need additional support. This leads to greater cost efficiency in managing remote teams.

Builds Trust and Communication

Transparent monitoring practices ensure employees understand the right purpose. This leads them to better engagement and motivation.

Increases Work Quality

Regular monitoring helps maintain consistent performance and ensure high-quality output across the team. Monitoring can also help track average response time for customer inquiries.

Why should You Monitor Remote Employees Working From Home?🏘️

As you have decided to manage WFH employees from home, it's time to learn how to monitor employees working from home. 

But before that, we've to focus on the reasons why you should track work-from-home employees.

• WFH employees are prone to distractions -
  It’s obvious yet mentionable that while working from home, employees will be distracted by different triggers and disturbances. Like a well-cooked recipe, children, a calling bell, ongoing programs on the TV channels, and many more! Without monitoring, it's tough to have them focused.
• A little thrust can help you get the best out of them -
  Monitoring work-from-home employees could be a blessing for both you and your workers. Since employees have a lot of freedom in how they work, a small reminder or friendly push can help them use that freedom better and get more done.
• Too much flexibility damages productivity -
  ‍Yet again, flexibility can act like a killer in disguise. Working in the drawing room in a casual dress without any hustle of office premises would be too comforting, and don’t be surprised if you catch the employees off guard.
• Increased security -
  If you are concerned about cybersecurity or data security, WFH monitoring can help you. Employees using malicious tools or visiting fishy sites can compromise the security of company data. That’s why by monitoring work-from-home employees, you can avoid the chance of data theft or security breaches. Using audit logs can help track any suspicious activities.

What to Remember while Monitoring Remote WFH Employees 💻

Three things you must remember while managing a remote team working from home. They are as follows:

• Respect employee privacy during WFH monitoring
  ‍Every individual deserves respect for their privacy. If, as an employer, you walk through that private part and neglect the fine line between monitoring and scrutinizing, then you’ll lose your respect too.
• Don’t run into micromanagement
  ‍Monitoring doesn’t mean you have to be there 24/7. Supervising doesn’t tell you to make employees uncomfortable in their jobs. So, micromanaging is an urge that must be suppressed no matter what.
• You can’t monitor everything, so you don’t need to
  ‍You don't need to be concerned about everything an employee does. You are expected to monitor only those activities that matter. So, don't overburden yourself.

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Best Practices for Monitoring Employees Without Micromanaging

You need to ensure the proper balance between oversight and autonomy while monitoring remote employees. Here are some best practices you can focus on:

Focus on Outcomes, Not Activity

Instead of activity tracking every click or minute, focus on whether the employee meets project deadlines, quality standards, and contributes to the team’s overall goals. This way, you can increase productivity without making them feel like they’re being watched all the time.

Balance between Trust & Transparency

While monitoring, be transparent about the tools you are using and build trust. Let your team know what’s being checked and why. This balance keeps the team feeling supported and motivated rather than micromanaged.

Setting KPIs and Performance Benchmarks

Set clear goals so everyone knows what to aim for. These goals should match what the team and company want to achieve. Track with needed KPIs to see how things are going and give helpful, regular feedback. This way, employees always know what’s expected and how they’re doing.

Tips to Use Data for Coaching, Not Punishment

Use the data you know about employee performance and guide them as needed. When an employee is falling short, ask reasons and provide suggestions to overcome the situation.  The goal is to help them learn and grow, not to punish them for mistakes.

How Do You Know if WFH Remote Employees are Genuinely Working? 🏡

Wondering how to know if remote employees are working?

Here are the seven strategies that would be helpful in monitoring remote workers' productivity: 

• Daily standup meetings or monthly town hall
  ‍Every successful company believes in the power of a small stand-up meeting at the beginning of the workday, which can act as a planning session. Also, monthly discussions or end-of-cycle meetings can help the company reflect on mistakes and improve its workflow for better results.

• Set quantifiable goals on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis -
  ‍Setting goals on different time and financial bases can help you stay on track till the goal is successfully pursued. Delegate managers to set goals that are quantifiable and achievable.
• Screenshot of work-from-home employees 📸
  ‍Screenshot monitoring software is now everywhere, and it can do magic for you. While monitoring employees working from home, automatic screenshots can keep employees accountable for their work by taking screenshots randomly. A few of them also have the option of taking real-time instant screenshots.
• Checking the application usage
  ‍Monitoring apps let you check what software employees are using during their course of action. So, you can manage work-from-home teams better. You’ll also be able to acknowledge whether they are using the right tools or intentionally wasting their time!
• Tracking the URLs
  ‍It's another strategy for holding the employees on the right track. Checking the websites your employees are visiting is also a metric you can set to see how productive they really are.

End of day report
‍You can generate a habit of sending end-of-day reports (EOD reports) to your employees to report their on-day activities and other details.