Petra, a remote employee, had a contract that strictly mandated working only from her home address.
The Initial Violation
When a major renovation started next door, making the noise at her home unbearable, Petra decided to temporarily subscribe to a coworking space just down the street to maintain her focus and productivity.
A couple of days later, HR called her in, stating she had “violated the location rule.” Petra learned that her company was tracking employees by IP address, and they knew she wasn’t at home. Shocked by the strict monitoring, Petra retorted, “This isn’t remote work. It’s a leash!”
The Extreme Surveillance
The next day, Petra went to the coworking space. She was stunned to find someone from her own HR department sitting at a corner desk with a company laptop, badge, and folders. The HR representative recognized her and immediately tried to explain.
He revealed that he had been sent to “inspect the space.” He confessed that leadership was concerned that employees who violated the work-from-home rule might be doing something “inappropriate.”
The HR representative then admitted the truth: HR had quietly subscribed to multiple coworking spaces across the city using company funds, purely to spy on employees they suspected of working off-site.
The rep quickly warned Petra, “Please, don’t make a scene. This is confidential. We’re supposed to report anyone we find here… including you.”
Petra’s story concludes by asking if anyone else has experienced similar, extreme surveillance tactics from their employers.
The article then provides four pieces of advice for dealing with such a situation:
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Document Everything: Collect clear records of emails, screenshots, and policy documents as a defense.
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Talk to HR Strategically: Calmly ask for clarification on the policy and how to handle impossible home environments, insisting on written confirmation of their responses.
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Check Local Labor Laws: Investigate remote-work regulations, privacy laws, and workplace monitoring standards in the area, as tracking IP addresses without transparent consent may be illegal.
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Start Quietly Exploring Healthier Work Environments: Begin updating résumés and networking with companies that prioritize employee trust, preparing an intentional exit if the controlling culture does not improve.
