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)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– 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.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did Wells Fargo fire some of its employees?
2. What tools have companies been using to keep track of their employees’ work from home?
3. How do “mouse jigglers” help employees get around surveillance?
4. Who did Wells Fargo report the incident to?
5. How many employees were fired and how many quit because of the accusations?
6. How has the popularity of working from home changed during the pandemic?
7. What percentage of full-time employees in the US were fully remote this spring?
8. Why do some companies want their employees to come back to the office?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

(1)______ Fargo, a big bank in the US, fired some employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard (2)______. It’s not clear how they found out about it or if it had to do with people (3)______ 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 (4)______ 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 (5)______ 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 (6)______ are being visited. But there are also ways to get around this (7)______, like using “mouse jigglers” that make it look like someone is using the computer. These (8)______ are easy to find and have been selling a lot on websites like Amazon.

According to (9)______, more than a dozen people were affected by what Wells Fargo did. They reported this to the US Financial Industry Regulatory (10)______. The BBC confirmed that six employees were fired and one quit after being accused of pretending to work. Many of these employees had (11)______ for Wells Fargo for less than five (12)______. 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 (13)______, it was over 60%.

It’s important to know that about 13% of full-time employees in the US were fully (14)______, 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 (15)______, to make sure they’re working and being (16)______ when they’re working from home.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

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?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. surveillance
2. brokers
3. ethical
4. tolerate
5. resignations
6. pandemic
7. regulatory
8. committed
9. unethical
10. jigglers
11. confirmed
12. remote
13. finance
14. responsible
15. employees

Meanings:
(A) Working from a place away from the usual office
(B) Devices that move the mouse to make it look like someone is using the computer
(C) People who buy and sell things like stocks or real estate for others
(D) To accept or allow something, even if you don’t like it
(E) The management of money and investments
(F) People who work for a company or organization
(G) Related to making sure rules and laws are followed
(H) Made sure something is true or correct
(I) Being dependable and making good choices
(J) The act of leaving a job or position
(K) Watching or monitoring someone or something closely
(L) Following rules about what is right and wrong
(M) Dedicated to a cause or activity
(N) A widespread outbreak of a disease
(O) Not following rules about what is right and wrong
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did Wells Fargo fire some employees?
(a) They were working from home.
(b) They were not meeting their targets.
(c) They were pretending to work by faking keyboard activity.
(d) They were using mouse jigglers.

2. What new rules did Wells Fargo introduce?
(a) Employees can only work from home part-time.
(b) Employees have to use surveillance tools while working from home.
(c) Employees have to resign if they are accused of pretending to work.
(d) Brokers who work from home have to be checked every three years.

3. How did Wells Fargo find out about the employees pretending to work?
(a) The employees were caught using mouse jigglers.
(b) It is not clear how they found out.
(c) The employees confessed to their actions.
(d) The surveillance tools detected their fake keyboard activity.

4. What did a spokesperson for Wells Fargo say about the company’s stance on unethical behavior?
(a) The company encourages unethical behavior among its employees.
(b) The company is committed to high ethical standards and won’t tolerate unethical behavior.
(c) The company is indifferent to unethical behavior.
(d) The company is unaware of any unethical behavior within its workforce.

5. What percentage of paid days in the US last month were work-from-home days?
(a) Over 60%
(b) Exactly 50%
(c) Less than 27%
(d) More than 75%

6. How many employees were affected by Wells Fargo’s actions, according to Bloomberg?
(a) More than a dozen
(b) Less than a dozen
(c) Exactly a dozen
(d) None of the above

7. What percentage of full-time employees in the US were fully remote this spring?
(a) 13%
(b) 26%
(c) 39%
(d) 52%

8. Why do some employers use software to monitor their employees while working from home?
(a) To invade their employees’ privacy.
(b) To catch employees pretending to work.
(c) To discourage employees from working from home.
(d) To ensure they are working and being responsible.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. New rules require brokers who work from home to undergo checks every two years.
2. The bank has stated that it terminated or accepted the resignations of employees accused of pretending to work.
3. Many companies have been using surveillance tools to monitor employees’ productivity while working in the office.
4. In 2022, Wells Fargo implemented a part-time work-from-home policy.
5. Wells Fargo emphasizes its commitment to high ethical standards and zero tolerance for unethical behavior.
6. Despite the popularity of remote work during the pandemic, more people are currently working from home compared to last year.
7. It is unclear how Wells Fargo discovered the employees’ honest behavior or if it was related to working from home.
8. Wells Fargo fired some employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard activity.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why did Wells Fargo fire some of its employees?
2. What tools do companies use to monitor their employees’ work from home?
3. How many employees were affected by Wells Fargo’s actions?
4. How has the percentage of work-from-home days changed in the US?
5. Why do some companies want their employees to come back to the office?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why did Wells Fargo fire some of its employees?
Wells Fargo fired some of its employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard activity.

2. What tools have companies been using to keep track of their employees’ work from home?
Companies have been using tools that 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.

3. How do “mouse jigglers” help employees get around surveillance?
“Mouse jigglers” help employees get around surveillance by making it look like someone is using the computer, even if they are not.

4. Who did Wells Fargo report the incident to?
Wells Fargo reported the incident to the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

5. How many employees were fired and how many quit because of the accusations?
Six employees were fired and one employee quit because of the accusations.

6. How has the popularity of working from home changed during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, working from home became very popular, with over 60% of paid days being work-from-home days. However, now it has decreased to less than 27% of paid days.

7. What percentage of full-time employees in the US were fully remote this spring?
About 13% of full-time employees in the US were fully remote this spring.

8. Why do some companies want their employees to come back to the office?
Some companies want their employees to come back to the office because they believe it promotes better collaboration, communication, and productivity.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Wells
(2) activity
(3) working
(4) rules
(5) tools
(6) websites
(7) surveillance
(8) devices
(9) Bloomberg
(10) Authority
(11) worked
(12) years
(13) pandemic
(14) remote
(15) screen
(16) responsible
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. surveillance
Answer: (K) Watching or monitoring someone or something closely

2. brokers
Answer: (C) People who buy and sell things like stocks or real estate for others

3. ethical
Answer: (L) Following rules about what is right and wrong

4. tolerate
Answer: (D) To accept or allow something, even if you don’t like it

5. resignations
Answer: (J) The act of leaving a job or position

6. pandemic
Answer: (N) A widespread outbreak of a disease

7. regulatory
Answer: (G) Related to making sure rules and laws are followed

8. committed
Answer: (M) Dedicated to a cause or activity

9. unethical
Answer: (O) Not following rules about what is right and wrong

10. jigglers
Answer: (B) Devices that move the mouse to make it look like someone is using the computer

11. confirmed
Answer: (H) Made sure something is true or correct

12. remote
Answer: (A) Working from a place away from the usual office

13. finance
Answer: (E) The management of money and investments

14. responsible
Answer: (I) Being dependable and making good choices

15. employees
Answer: (F) People who work for a company or organization
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did Wells Fargo fire some employees?
Answer: (c) They were pretending to work by faking keyboard activity.

2. What new rules did Wells Fargo introduce?
Answer: (d) Brokers who work from home have to be checked every three years.

3. How did Wells Fargo find out about the employees pretending to work?
Answer: (b) It is not clear how they found out.

4. What did a spokesperson for Wells Fargo say about the company’s stance on unethical behavior?
Answer: (b) The company is committed to high ethical standards and won’t tolerate unethical behavior.

5. What percentage of paid days in the US last month were work-from-home days?
Answer: (c) Less than 27%

6. How many employees were affected by Wells Fargo’s actions, according to Bloomberg?
Answer: (a) More than a dozen

7. What percentage of full-time employees in the US were fully remote this spring?
Answer: (a) 13%

8. Why do some employers use software to monitor their employees while working from home?
Answer: (d) To ensure they are working and being responsible.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. New rules require brokers who work from home to undergo checks every two years. (Answer: False)
2. The bank has stated that it terminated or accepted the resignations of employees accused of pretending to work. (Answer: True)
3. Many companies have been using surveillance tools to monitor employees’ productivity while working in the office. (Answer: False)
4. In 2022, Wells Fargo implemented a part-time work-from-home policy. (Answer: True)
5. Wells Fargo emphasizes its commitment to high ethical standards and zero tolerance for unethical behavior. (Answer: True)
6. Despite the popularity of remote work during the pandemic, more people are currently working from home compared to last year. (Answer: False)
7. It is unclear how Wells Fargo discovered the employees’ honest behavior or if it was related to working from home. (Answer: False)
8. Wells Fargo fired some employees for pretending to work by faking keyboard activity. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧