Cognizant has begun introducing advanced monitoring software across select teams to keep track of activity on company-issued computers, according to a report by Mint. Over the past month, some employees have been onboarded to tools such as ProHance—workforce-management software that tracks keyboard strokes and mouse movement to measure on-screen engagement.

Under this system, the tool records inactivity based on preset thresholds. If a worker does not use the keyboard or mouse for more than five minutes (300 seconds), the system flags them as “idle.” A stretch of 15 minutes without activity marks the employee as being “away from the system.” The pace and extent of deployment will differ across departments, the report noted.

Company says the data won’t affect appraisals

The introduction of such close monitoring has raised concerns among employees about how the data may be used. Cognizant, however, has stated that these metrics will not influence performance evaluations. Instead, the company says the goal is to map workflow patterns and identify inefficiencies in processes handled for clients.

A company spokesperson told Mint: “We sometimes use productivity measurement tools—standard practice across the industry—within specific business process management or automation-focused projects, usually at the request of clients. These tools help us understand the steps involved in a process and the time associated with them, so inefficiencies can be identified.”

Other major IT companies, including Wipro, are also known to use ProHance for activity tracking.

Tracking tied to employee consent, but concerns arise

Cognizant maintains that employees must give consent before being monitored through ProHance. But several workers told Mint that a mandatory training module introduced the tool and required them to accept its terms. The course reportedly covered metrics such as productive hours, time spent on tasks, and usage of different applications. One employee said, “The course was compulsory, and completing it required clicking ‘I agree.’”

According to the report, the push for deeper monitoring comes from the desire to ensure employees put in a fixed number of working hours, even with breaks factored in. Both Cognizant and its clients are said to be seeking more transparent insights into productivity, with micro-tracking seen as a way to close those gaps.