Why Freedom, Not Surveillance, Drives Engagement
From my most recent newsletter on LinkedIn:
Recent research has consistently shown the benefits of remote and flexible work arrangements. Nick Bloom and his team at Stanford University, found that companies engaging in remote work policies saw a 13% increase in employee productivity which was largely driven by fewer distractions, reduced commute times, and more focused work environments. Meanwhile return-to-office (RTO) mandates hurt employee satisfaction and firm performance claims research by Mark Ma and his team.
When I asked Ma about why this push for RTO, he told me that it's about a lack of trust. He says that leaders, "feel they've lost control over their employees and therefore want to grab the power back in this employer-employee relationship."
After a major consultancy firm caused a media firestorm when it decided it would track employees’ locations as part of its return-to-office strategy, Ma's comment feels that much more compelling.
While electronic monitoring may be legally permitted in many jurisdictions, using it to motivate or control employees is counterproductive. Especially in light of the overwhelming evidence that autonomy and freedom drive better outcomes for both employees and businesses.
The Limits of Surveillance in Modern Workplaces
Tracking employees is nothing new, especially in industries like logistics or customer service where efficiency is tied directly to movement. However, the idea of expanding this practice to a broader set of knowledge workers raises significant concerns about employee privacy, autonomy, and morale.
A new study finds that the use of electronic monitoring in the workplace can create "communication privacy turbulence" which arises when organizational culture prioritizes control over freedom. This can lead to negative psychological effects on employees, including a significant erosion of trust.
The American Psychological Association (APA) highlights that employees subjected to electronic surveillance often report higher levels of stress and anxiety. The APA’s data shows that about 32% of employees who are monitored report poor mental health compared to those who are not monitored.
If we want to motivate employees, we need to rethink our strategies. Rather than controlling people, we should focus on empowering them to make decisions that align with their roles and responsibilities.
Building Trust in the Post-Pandemic Workplace
To understand motivation, we need to look at what drives human behaviour. Humans naturally resist constraints, especially when they perceive them as unjust or unnecessary. Freedom—especially in the workplace—is a psychological necessity. Research shows that when people feel a loss of autonomy, they experience heightened stress, frustration, and even anxiety. More concerning, these effects can snowball into widespread disengagement and rebellion against management.
Tracking employees may seem like a practical solution, but it neglects to understand the deeper, psychological needs baked into human behaviour. When you take away freedom—whether by limiting remote work or by tracking employees—you’re not just affecting the logistics of where work happens; you’re impacting well-being, creativity, and long-term loyalty.
Instead, companies should be thinking about how to build environments that people want to return to.
Tactics for Engaging Employees Without Monitoring
If tracking isn’t the answer, what is? Here are some practical tactics companies can use to drive engagement without resorting to employee monitoring:
Make going in the office meaningful. Reimagine the office as a space for collaboration, creativity, and social interaction. Design workdays where the time spent in the office feels purposeful—focus on collaborative meetings, team-building activities, or strategic discussions that benefit from face-to-face interaction.
Promote flexibility and autonomy. Rather than requiring employees to be in the office three or four days a week, create considered choice. Make it a team-based decision that changes each week. When does in-office presence make the most sense for their roles, and focus on results rather than rigid attendance policies.
Foster a culture of recognition and appreciation. Employees need to feel seen, valued, and appreciated for their contributions. Build a culture where recognition is part of the everyday experience, whether employees are in the office or working remotely.
Make it social. Chris Capossela, writes in an article for Harvard Business Review, “When asked what would motivate them to come into the office, employees had a resounding answer: social time with coworkers.” He cites the Microsoft Work Trend Index Report that found 73% seventy-three respondents said “they need a better reason than just company expectations to come back to the office," while 85%,"would be motivated to go into the office to rebuild team bonds."
Make it fun. Ask for your team's input about what would make the experience of work more joyful? One manager I spoke to said they do a monthly Iron Chef competition. "Everyone gets really into it - the chefs take it very seriously! One month it can be peppers and the next chocolate, we just have the best time competing, eating and laughing."
If we want people to be in the office, and stay in the office, we need to reimagine the office. It looks very different in this post-pandemic future of work where flexibility is now a right not a perk. Although tracking and monitoring as tools for compliance may find short-term success in enforcing return-to-office policies, these tactics are unlikely to be effective in the long-run. More than ever, in a time rife with chronic stress and burnout we need compassion from leaders, not control.
