A bank has terminated over a dozen employees for simulating keyboard activity to appear busy while not actually working.

Wells Fargo has dismissed more than a dozen employees for pretending to work by simulating keyboard activity.

Business Jun 14, 2024 0 43 Add to Reading List

A bank has terminated over a dozen employees for simulating keyboard activity to appear busy while not actually working.

Wells Fargo has dismissed over a dozen employees for simulating keyboard activity to give the impression they were working. According to a Bloomberg report published on Thursday, the fired employees were all from the bank's wealth and investment management unit.

In its disclosure to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, America’s third-largest bank reported that the employees were "terminated after a review of allegations involving simulated keyboard activity to give the impression of active work."

Bank's Response

"Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behavior," a spokesperson told Reuters.

The bank did not reveal how the alleged keyboard simulation was uncovered or if it was connected to remote work.

A BBC report noted that many companies have begun using advanced tools to monitor employees by tracking eye movement and keyboard activity, and taking screenshots of visited web pages. These tools gained popularity during the pandemic when companies transitioned to remote work models and sought ways to monitor employee performance.

Employees have devised various methods to bypass these tracking tools, such as simulating keyboard activity, which resulted in the dismissals at Wells Fargo.

During the pandemic, devices and software referred to as "mouse movers" or "mouse jigglers" gained popularity. These tools mimic keyboard input to deceive the system into believing an employee is active, even if they are away from their workstation.

According to the BBC, many of these devices can be purchased on Amazon for less than $10.

In early 2022, Wells Fargo instructed the majority of its employees, including those in customer-facing roles, to return to the office and adopt a hybrid flexible working model.