Cognizant ‘tracking’ what employees do on their laptops; company clarifies: The purpose is to…
Cognizant has reportedly started training select executives on ProHance, a workforce management tool that monitors how long employees remain active on their laptops and tracks which applications and websites they use during work hours. The move is said to signal the IT giant’s push toward micro-level productivity tracking across certain delivery teams.According to a report in Mint, the tool records mouse and keyboard activity to classify employee engagement levels. Workers can be marked “idle” after five minutes of no activity and “away from system” if their laptop remains inactive for 15 minutes, according to course material as claimed to be seen by Mint. Individual project teams may adjust these thresholds based on specific requirements.
How Cognizant is tracking employees
ProHance dashboards provide minute-by-minute visibility into employee workdays, showing login times, active applications, and task duration. The system maps work patterns, breaks, and time allocation across different activities to identify workflow bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.Cognizant has clarified that the data will not be used for individual performance evaluations at this stage, emphasizing that ProHance metrics will not factor into individual performance appraisals. The company maintains the tool’s purpose is improving project-level efficiency rather than punitive monitoring. However, employees have expressed concerns that the line between workflow visibility and micromanagement could blur, particularly if managers informally reference idle time metrics during feedback sessions.Internal reports suggest the move is partly driven by client requirements for clearer proof of billable hours and work output in an increasingly margin-conscious environment.
Tracking tools become standard across IT firms
ProHance and similar platforms have become widespread across IT services, with companies using them to optimize utilization and staffing decisions. Cognizant reportedly saved around $8 million annually through productivity gains enabled by the tool, according to industry reports.Privacy advocates note that India’s data protection framework leaves grey areas around workplace surveillance limits and transparency requirements. The rollout remains limited to select client engagements rather than company-wide implementation, with the company’s future use of collected data determining whether employees view it as a productivity aid or workplace intrusion.
