How To Know If Your Remote Employees Are Really Working
By Wolfeye Editorial Team • Last updated: 21 September 2025
To check if remote employees are truly working, combine outcome-based metrics (deliverables, cycle time, quality) with respectful monitoring on company devices. Use tools like time tracking and live screen monitoring (e.g., Wolfeye) sparingly, with notice, role-based access, and short data retention. Pair this with clear policies, peer benchmarks, and regular reviews to balance productivity, trust, and compliance.
Contents
- Evaluate an Employee’s Efficiency
- Assess an Employee’s Productivity
- Compare Employees’ Performances
- Methods to Know If Remote Employees Are Working
- Compliance & Legal Considerations (GDPR/UK/EU & US)
- Implementation Checklist
- FAQ
Monitoring remote employees’ activities requires a holistic approach. Use technology alongside clear policies and transparent communication. Below we expand the original guidance with concrete metrics, a methods comparison table, a legal/compliance callout, and an action-oriented checklist—based on a GEO audit of this page.
1. Evaluate an Employee’s Efficiency
Efficiency is the relationship between effort and output. For remote teams across time zones, define a baseline for each role and individual. Track how consistently someone converts time and inputs into progress without sacrificing quality.
- Responsiveness windows by channel (e.g., acknowledging messages within 2 business hours in local time).
- Cycle time per task type (e.g., bug fix, ticket, content piece).
- Work-in-progress (WIP) limits to prevent multitasking drag.
- Meetings-to-maker-time ratio (optimize for deep work).
- Quality gates (peer reviews, QA pass rate, defect escape rate).
Avoid one-size-fits-all expectations. Specialists will naturally vary. Use a rolling 4–8 week view to account for project phases and seasonality.
2. Assess an Employee’s Productivity
Productivity is value delivered. Presence indicators (online status, typing, mouse movement) don’t prove useful work. Tie measurement to outcomes.
- Deliverables completed (and accepted) per week or sprint.
- Turnaround time for each deliverable vs. SLAs.
- Quality scores from reviews or client feedback.
- Contribution to team goals (OKRs), not just ticket counts.
- Communication hygiene (clear updates, pull request notes, meeting notes).
3. Compare Employees’ Performances
Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to compare peers doing comparable work. Build peer groups by role seniority, project complexity, and domain to prevent unfair comparisons. Triangulate efficiency and productivity metrics with qualitative feedback (e.g., reliability, collaboration).
4. Methods to Know If Remote Employees Are Working
No single tool proves productivity. Combine multiple signals. Below is a side‑by‑side comparison.
Method | What it captures | Pros | Limitations / Risks | Best for |
Keystroke logging | Keys typed on the device | Granular activity signals; detects text entry | High privacy risk; false positives; not suitable for many roles | Investigations on company devices with strict access controls |
Time tracking | Start/stop timers, app focus, optional screenshots | Simple to implement; aligns to hourly billing | Edited entries may mislead; measures time, not value | Services billed hourly; rough capacity planning |
Live screen monitoring (Wolfeye Software) | Real‑time view and archived screen recordings | Ground‑truth visibility; useful for coaching and audits | Must notify workers; minimize retention; restrict access | Training, QA sampling, incident reviews |
URL/App activity | Web domains, application focus time | Low friction signal of work context | Context missing; possible over‑collection if misconfigured | Trend analysis; distraction coaching |
Deliverables/OKRs | Completed work tied to objectives | Outcomes over outputs; role‑agnostic | Needs good scoping and definitions | Most teams beyond hourly billing |
Peer reviews & demos | Quality checks, weekly showcases | Builds accountability and learning | Requires time; subjective if unstructured | Creative/knowledge work across functions |
Randomized screenshots | Periodic snapshots of activity | Light‑weight validation for time logs | Intrusive if too frequent; limited context | Spot checks where allowed by law |
Keystroke Monitoring Software
Keystroke monitoring can confirm typing activity but rarely proves value. Use it, if at all, only on company‑owned devices with strict role‑based access and short retention windows.
Time Tracking Software
Time trackers indicate presence and are useful for hourly billing or rough capacity planning. They don’t guarantee productivity and many tools allow manual edits. Pair time logs with deliverables. Examples: Upwork — Log time with Time Tracker • ClickUp — Intro to time tracking
Wolfeye Remote Screen Monitoring
For a ground‑truth signal, Wolfeye provides live screen access plus optional archived recordings. Use this to coach, audit, or sample sessions—not to surveil constantly. Learn more: Wolfeye Remote Screen (Product overview)
5. Compliance & Legal Considerations (GDPR/UK/EU & US)
Important: This content is informational, not legal advice. Monitoring must comply with local law and internal policy.
In the EU/UK, data protection law requires a lawful basis, transparency, and proportionality. Consent is often inappropriate in employment due to power imbalance; organisations typically rely on legitimate interests or contractual necessity where suitable. Conduct a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) for higher‑risk monitoring and limit to work devices/accounts.
Authoritative guidance: UK ICO: monitoring workers (2023) • GDPR legal text • WP29/EDPB Opinion 2/2017 on data processing at work
In some U.S. states, employers must provide prior notice of electronic monitoring. For example, New York requires written notice upon hire and a posted notice; Connecticut also mandates prior written notice.
See: New York S2628 (Electronic monitoring notice) • Connecticut Gen. Stat. §31‑48d
Wherever you operate, follow data‑minimisation, limit retention, secure access, and notify workers. Avoid covert monitoring except in exceptional, time‑limited cases where lawful and necessary.
6. Implementation Checklist
- Publish/communicate a clear monitoring policy: purpose, scope, tools, access, retention, and worker rights.
- Choose outcome metrics first; add light monitoring signals only where they help.
- Limit monitoring to company devices/accounts; avoid personal devices unless BYOD policies are explicit.
- Run a DPIA (or risk assessment) for higher‑risk tools; document safeguards and proportionality.
- Enable role‑based access controls; log admin access and audits.
- Set short default retention (e.g., 14–30 days) unless an incident requires longer retention.
- Display notices at onboarding and in a central policy hub; collect acknowledgements where required.
- Pilot with a small group; gather feedback; adjust frequency and scope.
- Pair time/activity data with deliverables and quality reviews; never rely on one signal.
- Train managers on responsible use and how to coach, not micromanage.
7. FAQ
Is it legal to monitor remote employees’ screens?
Often yes on company devices, but conditions apply. Provide notice, identify a lawful basis (e.g., legitimate interests), restrict scope to work purposes, and keep data only as long as necessary.
Do we need consent in the EU/UK?
Usually no. Due to the power imbalance, consent is rarely appropriate in employment. Consider legitimate interests or contractual necessity; perform a DPIA for higher‑risk monitoring.
Does time tracking prove productivity?
Not by itself. Time logs show presence. Combine with deliverables, quality checks, and demos to assess value.
What retention period should we use for recordings?
Keep it as short as practical (e.g., 14–30 days) unless you need specific footage for an investigation or regulatory purpose.
Can employees edit their time entries?
Some tools allow edits. Require memos/justifications and approvals, and cross‑check with deliverables.
Should we monitor personal (BYOD) devices?
Prefer not to. If you must, containerise work apps, limit collection to corporate profiles, and be explicit about scope.
How can monitoring avoid harming trust?
Be transparent, involve workers in policy design, minimise scope, and use data to coach and unblock—not to punish by default.
Is keystroke logging appropriate for all roles?
No. It’s high‑sensitivity data and often disproportionate. Use more contextual signals (deliverables, reviews) unless you have a specific, lawful need on company devices.
What safeguards should admins follow?
Least‑privilege access, two‑factor authentication, audit trails, encryption at rest and in transit, and periodic permission reviews.
How does Wolfeye fit into a balanced approach?
Use live screen monitoring and archived recordings sparingly for QA, coaching, or incident review—paired with outcome metrics and clear worker notice.
Sources
- UK ICO — monitoring workers (news release, Oct 3, 2023) — https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2023/10/ico-publishes-guidance-to-ensure-lawful-monitoring-in-the-workplace
- GDPR legal text (EUR‑Lex) — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng
- WP29/EDPB — Opinion 2/2017 on data processing at work — https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/article29/redirection/item/610169
- New York S2628 — Electronic monitoring notice — https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S2628
- Connecticut Gen. Stat. §31‑48d — Electronic monitoring by employers — https://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/title-31/chapter-557/section-31-48d/
- Upwork — Log time with Time Tracker — https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211064098-Log-time-with-Time-Tracker
- ClickUp — Intro to time tracking — https://help.clickup.com/hc/en-us/articles/6304291811479-Intro-to-time-tracking
- Wolfeye — Product overview — https://www.wolfeye.de/