Cognizant's Shock Move: Is Your Mouse Click Costing You Your Job?

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. is reportedly examining the use of productivity tracking tools like ProHance to monitor employee engagement through mouse and keyboard movements. The company has introduced a course for executives detailing how employees can be marked "idle" if they show no activity for over 300 seconds or "away from system" if their computer remains inactive for 15 minutes. These timeframes can vary by project team.

**Reasons Behind the Move:** Analysts suggest this strategy is driven by three key factors: increasing client demand for tighter controls and proof of productivity in hybrid work models, the need to understand process inefficiencies before AI automation, and margin protection amid pricing pressure and wage inflation. Companies use such tools to track time spent on systems, project work, and breaks.

**Impact on Employees:** While Cognizant states these tools are not currently used for performance evaluation and are implemented at client request for understanding process steps, some employees express concern. They report mandatory training and potential automatic log-outs if inactive for too long, linking it to a drive for increased productivity and billing. Consent is reportedly required, though some executives found the course mandatory with a user acceptance click. This follows similar moves by other IT firms like Wipro and LTIMindtree implementing competency tests.

**Impact** This news could lead to increased employee stress and privacy concerns within Cognizant, potentially affecting morale and productivity. It also highlights a growing trend of micro-management in the IT sector, which could influence employee expectations and company policies across the industry. Rating: 5/10

**Difficult Terms:** * **Micro-tracking:** Detailed monitoring of small, granular employee activities. * **Nasdaq:** A US stock exchange for technology companies. * **Bourses:** Stock exchanges. * **ProHance:** A workforce management software used for tracking employee activity and productivity. * **Idle:** A state where a computer system is not being actively used. * **Telemetry:** Data collected automatically about remote or electronic systems. * **SLAs (Service Level Agreements):** Contracts that define the level of service expected by a customer from a supplier. * **Hybrid delivery model:** A work model combining remote work and in-office presence. * **Process debt:** Inefficiencies or outdated practices in business processes. * **Artificial Intelligence (AI):** Computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. * **Appraisals:** Performance reviews for employees.