A growing number of workers say they’re fed up with invasive productivity tracking on the job, with some ready to quit if employers implement more extreme surveillance measures, according to a new survey by Zety.
The report, based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. employees, found that 62% of respondents oppose rigid productivity tracking policies such as those promoted by Elon Musk, who has required federal employees to submit weekly lists of five accomplishments or risk termination.
If their own employer implemented a similar mandate, nearly one-third of workers said they would start looking for a new job. Another 9% said they would quit immediately.
Strict productivity policies appear to be taking a toll. One in nine employees said they’ve already left a job due to extreme accountability or surveillance. One in six said they’ve considered it.
Ninety percent of respondents said strict reporting harms the workplace. They cited decreased job satisfaction (22%), a culture of fear (22%), and increased burnout (18%) as top concerns.
While more than a third of workers (37%) said their employer doesn’t have formal productivity tracking, many reported the use of regular manager check-ins (23%), weekly status reports (14%), time-tracking software (14%), or even surveillance tools such as screen monitoring or keystroke tracking (6%).
Despite these measures, 66% of employees said they feel they have full autonomy over their work. But 25% reported being frequently checked in on, and 9% said they feel closely monitored and micromanaged.
When asked about digital surveillance, such as monitoring computer usage and emails, 21% of employees said they are against it and believe it violates privacy. Thirty-six percent supported such monitoring to ensure productivity, while 43% said it should depend on the role and industry.
Employees also offered their perspectives on what they believe are more effective ways to measure performance. The top preferences included regular feedback and performance reviews (40%) and a focus on outcomes and meeting deadlines (37%). Just 4% said tracking or surveillance software was the best way to evaluate their performance.
The survey results suggest that overly rigid tracking policies may be counterproductive, pushing workers away rather than boosting results.
