In June 2020, the local online edition contacted CleverControl, requesting employee monitoring software that could track productivity, idle and work time. Due to the pandemic, the staff worked from home, and their performance and discipline decreased drastically. Many journalists admitted that they had trouble focusing on work at home with so many distractions around: a cozy sofa, a favourite show, family members and pets asking for attention. As a result, they often postponed writing till the last minute and missed deadlines, or the quality of their writing was below expectations. The management hoped to use CleverControl not only as a tool for tracking idle activities but also as a psychological instrument. The employees will be less likely to disrupt work discipline knowing about the monitoring.
With CleverControl in place, the employees knew they had to follow the same work schedule they had in the office. Starting late or leaving early will be registered by the program, and the log will be checked by the manager. CleverControl would also register employees watching Netflix, playing games, browsing Facebook and other entertainment if they used them instead of working. The fact of monitoring itself discouraged the staff from doing anything unwanted.
As a result, the manager revealed fewer violations than he expected, and the goal of improved productivity and discipline was reached. The online edition continued using CleverControl for monitoring throughout the pandemic.