Cognizant has started deploying activity-tracking software on company-issued devices, with select teams now using tools that monitor keyboard and mouse movement throughout the workday. The rollout began about a month ago and is currently limited to specific projects, but more teams are being gradually added, according to a report by Mint.
The tracking system, ProHance, flags employees as “idle” after five minutes of no activity and marks them “away from the system” after 15 minutes. While such tools are common in process-driven environments, their broader use has raised concerns among employees about how the data might be used.
Cognizant maintains that the tool is client-driven and not meant for performance evaluations. “We occasionally use various productivity measurement tools, a common industry practice… at the request of customers,” a spokesperson told Mint. The data, they said, is aimed at identifying inefficiencies in process design.
Despite assurances of consent-based deployment, employees described the onboarding process as mandatory, citing compulsory ProHance training modules that ended with a required “I agree” confirmation.
The monitoring move comes amid ongoing hybrid work setups and increased industry pressure to boost visibility, optimise time usage, and improve output across IT and business process management (BPM) operations. Similar tools are already used by peers like Wipro.
