Alex KagnoJust found out about Microsoft Teams Presence Tracking and I am baffled by this breach of privacy. Specifically, the fact that this kind of feature exists within horrifically imperfect software. /1
The fact that a piece of software as poorly developed as Microsoft Teams allows managers and employers to track a user's "status" overtime is absolutely asinine. A couple of examples that happen all the time that would contribute to my status being incorrectly marked will follow. /2
1. Watching training videos for hours on end.
2. Whiteboarding something.
3. Walking away from my desk to have an impromptu conversation with a co-worker regarding an issue I or they are experiencing.
4. Taking a walk to process new information after a lengthy meeting.
/3
All of these are examples of labor that aren't counted as "active" time where my bubble on Teams is green. Sure, maybe my current employer won't weaponize this against me, but I'm all but convinced my last employer did. Salaried employees apparently have all the expectations of hourly employees but without the benefit of overtime. /4