Wells Fargo, a big bank in the US, fired some employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard activity. It's not clear how they found out about it or if it had to do with people working from home. The bank said they fired or accepted the resignations of employees who were accused of pretending to work by faking keyboard activity. New rules say that brokers who work from home have to be checked every three years. A spokesperson for Wells Fargo said the company is committed to high ethical standards and won't tolerate unethical behavior.

In 2022, Wells Fargo started a new way of working where employees can work from home part-time. Since more people have been working from home because of Covid-19, many companies have been using tools to keep track of how much work their employees are doing. These tools can watch what keys are being pressed, where people are looking, take pictures of the screen, and keep a record of what websites are being visited. But there are also ways to get around this surveillance, like using "mouse jigglers" that make it look like someone is using the computer. These devices are easy to find and have been selling a lot on websites like Amazon.

According to Bloomberg, more than a dozen people were affected by what Wells Fargo did. They reported this to the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The BBC confirmed that six employees were fired and one quit after being accused of pretending to work. Many of these employees had worked for Wells Fargo for less than five years. Even though working from home has been popular during the pandemic, people are doing it less now. Research done by professors at ITAM Business School, Stanford, and the University of Chicago shows that in the US, less than 27% of paid days last month were work-from-home days. In 2020, during the worst part of the pandemic, it was over 60%.

It's important to know that about 13% of full-time employees in the US were fully remote, and another 26% had a mix of working from home and going to the office this spring, according to the researchers. Many companies, especially in finance, want their employees to come back to the office. Some employers use software to watch what their employees are doing, including taking pictures of the screen, to make sure they're working and being responsible when they're working from home.

Original news source: Mouse jigglers' pretending to work fired by bank (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They can take turns sharing their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form pairs or small groups and discuss their opinions on the topic of employees working from home. They can create a list of questions to ask each other and then record and compare their responses.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and draw a picture representing one of the words. Their team must guess the word within a certain time limit. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Provide students with a list of vocabulary words from the article. In pairs or small groups, students will take turns giving synonyms for the words. They can use dictionaries or online resources to help them. The group with the most correct synonyms wins.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of remote work and employee surveillance. They can consider the advantages and disadvantages, as well as any potential changes in technology or company policies. Each group will share their predictions with the class.

? Fargo, a big bank in the US, fired some employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard ?. It's not clear how they found out about it or if it had to do with people ? from home. The bank said they fired or accepted the resignations of employees who were accused of pretending to work by faking keyboard activity. New ? say that brokers who work from home have to be checked every three years. A spokesperson for Wells Fargo said the company is committed to high ethical standards and won't tolerate unethical behavior. In 2022, Wells Fargo started a new way of working where employees can work from home part-time. Since more people have been working from home because of Covid-19, many companies have been using ? to keep track of how much work their employees are doing. These tools can watch what keys are being pressed, where people are looking, take pictures of the screen, and keep a record of what ? are being visited. But there are also ways to get around this ?, like using "mouse jigglers" that make it look like someone is using the computer. These ? are easy to find and have been selling a lot on websites like Amazon. According to ?, more than a dozen people were affected by what Wells Fargo did. They reported this to the US Financial Industry Regulatory ?. The BBC confirmed that six employees were fired and one quit after being accused of pretending to work. Many of these employees had ? for Wells Fargo for less than five ?. Even though working from home has been popular during the pandemic, people are doing it less now. Research done by professors at ITAM Business School, Stanford, and the University of Chicago shows that in the US, less than 27% of paid days last month were work-from-home days. In 2020, during the worst part of the ?, it was over 60%. It's important to know that about 13% of full-time employees in the US were fully ?, and another 26% had a mix of working from home and going to the office this spring, according to the researchers. Many companies, especially in finance, want their employees to come back to the office. Some employers use software to watch what their employees are doing, including taking pictures of the ?, to make sure they're working and being ? when they're working from home.

1. What do you think about employees being fired for pretending to work?
2. How would you feel if your employer used surveillance tools to monitor your work from home?
3. Do you think it's fair for companies to check on their employees who work from home? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever worked from home? If so, what tools or methods did your employer use to track your work?
5. What do you think about the use of "mouse jigglers" to deceive surveillance tools?
6. How do you think companies can ensure their employees are being productive while working from home?
7. Do you prefer working from home or going to the office? Why?
8. Have you ever witnessed unethical behavior in your workplace? If so, how was it dealt with?
9. Do you think the pandemic has changed the way people view working from home? Why or why not?
10. How do you think technology has impacted the way we work?
11. What measures do you think companies should take to promote ethical behavior in the workplace?
12. Have you ever experienced any challenges or difficulties while working from home? If so, what were they?
13. Do you think working from home has affected work-life balance? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the role of the office will change in the future?
15. What are some advantages and disadvantages of working from home?

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