9 Easy Ways to Fool Employee Monitoring Software

Let’s face it—if there’s a system, someone’s going to try and game it. And employee monitoring software is no exception.

Even though time-tracking software has advanced, and many companies now use what they consider the best employee monitoring software, some employees still manage to find ways around it.

From jiggling the mouse with a fan to running “productivity” apps in the background while bingeing Netflix, people have come up with some pretty creative ways to look busy without actually working.

This blog isn’t about glorifying those hacks—but it is a peek behind the curtain. Because if you’re using (or thinking about using) monitoring tools to manage your team, it’s worth knowing the loopholes that exist—and how to stay one step ahead.

Key Takeaways

• Employees have come up with creative ways to bypass monitoring software — from mouse jigglers to virtual machines.
  
• Time theft can cost businesses up to 4.5 hours per employee per week, which directly impacts revenue.
  
• Modern employee monitoring software like Flowace offers advanced features to combat these tricks.
  
• Transparency and trust-building are just as important as technology in preventing cheating.
  
• Randomized screenshots, activity tracking, and outcome-based evaluation work better than rigid micromanagement.

Why Is Monitoring Software Getting More Popular?

The workplace has changed dramatically in the last decade, and monitoring software adoption has grown rapidly alongside it. From small startups to global enterprises, more businesses are realizing that tracking work patterns is not about spying anymore. It is about visibility, accountability, and making smarter decisions.

Here are the main reasons behind its growing popularity:

1. The Remote and Hybrid Work Boom

The rise of remote and hybrid work models has eliminated the ability for managers to physically see who is working. Monitoring software bridges that gap by giving leaders visibility into productivity without constant check-ins or micromanagement.

 

2. Rising Awareness of Time Theft

Studies show that time theft, whether intentional or accidental, can cost companies thousands of hours annually. Even small inefficiencies can add up quickly. Businesses now use tracking tools to measure actual productive time versus idle time and close these hidden productivity leaks.

 

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

In today’s competitive market, gut feeling is not enough. Monitoring software provides detailed reports on how time is spent, which apps are used, and where bottlenecks occur. This allows managers to make staffing, budgeting, and workflow decisions based on facts rather than assumptions.

 

4. Enhanced ROI Tracking

With project-level and task-level insights, companies can directly link employee time and productivity to revenue. This helps justify client billing, evaluate profitability, and forecast resource requirements with greater accuracy.

 

5. Compliance and Accountability Needs

In regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal services, accurate work logs are critical for compliance. Monitoring tools provide secure, auditable records that protect both the company and the employee in case of disputes.

 

6. Technological Advancements in Monitoring Tools

Modern solutions like Flowace have moved far beyond basic punch-in and punch-out systems. Today’s software offers intelligent productivity scoring, AI-driven anomaly detection, idle time tracking, and even ethical screenshot capture, all while respecting privacy.

 

7. Workforce Optimization and Cost Control

By revealing where resources are over or under-utilized, monitoring tools help managers rebalance workloads, reduce overtime costs, and shift team capacity toward high-value activities.

 

8. Shift Toward Results-Driven Cultures

Many companies adopt monitoring software not to watch employees but to free them from old-school timekeeping. Automated tracking means fewer manual logs, less micromanagement, and more focus on delivering measurable results.

History of Time Trackers

Frederick Winslow Taylor invented the stopwatch method in 1876 to increase industrial productivity, and time tracking has been around ever since. This was refined further in Henry Ford’s factories, and as a result, it was widely used in many different industries. Time tracking has become increasingly common since the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly for remote employment.

Even though time-tracking software has advanced, some employees manage to get around it, which results in serious time theft. A Robert Half Technology study indicates that this causes each employee to lose an average of 4.5 hours each week. As a result, companies are spending more on time-tracking systems; Statista projects a 14% increase in spending on these tools by 2022.

Why Do Employers Use Time Tracking Software?

Employers use time tracking software to gain visibility into how time is spent across teams and projects. It helps improve accountability, optimize resource allocation, and streamline payroll.

Here’s why employers love using time tracking tools:

• They get a clear picture of how productive the team really is.

• It makes billing clients super easy (no more guesswork on hours).

• Payroll becomes a breeze and everything’s calculated automatically.

• Managers get insights into who’s doing what and where time’s being spent.

• It helps them stay compliant with labor laws and internal policies.

Why do employees trick monitoring systems?

Nobody likes being watched all the time. Especially not at work. That’s one big reason why some employees try to outsmart monitoring tools. It’s not always about slacking off. Sometimes, it’s about privacy. Other times, it’s just good ol’ burnout or trying to meet unrealistic expectations.

Employees trick monitoring tools:

• To protect their privacy: Constant tracking can feel invasive, especially when remote workers feel like they’re being watched at home.

• To look busier than they actually are: Some might move the mouse around or open random tabs just to appear active.

• To avoid being penalized for breaks: Instead of logging time off, they keep the system “on” to dodge questions.

• To deal with pressure: If productivity targets are too high, tricking the system becomes a shortcut to survive.

• Because the system feels unfair: When monitoring feels one-sided or overly strict, employees might rebel a little.

What does time-tracking software do?

Companies can use time-tracking software to keep an eye on how much time staff members spend on particular tasks. It helps monitor staff attendance, identify areas for cost savings, and evaluate worker productivity.

As seen in the Flowace software example below, it is frequently used in conjunction with timesheet or time clock systems to allow organizations to view the work hours and leave that employees have taken.

While there are many different types of time monitoring software, desktop, web-based, and mobile programs are the most often used.

“Track, analyze, and optimize—the mantra for time management success.”

Understanding the Significance of Tracking Employee Time

There are numerous important advantages for your company when you have your staff use time tracking. First, it gives you an overview of worker productivity, enabling you to assess how well time is spent on different tasks. This insight is essential because it shows where efficiency can be increased, which can lead to possible cost savings.

Additionally, time tracking is a useful tool for keeping track of staff attendance. It provides an accurate record of each employee’s hours worked and vacation time. This information is crucial in enhancing labor management and making sure that workers are staying extremely productive.

Time tracking is essentially a strategic approach to improving workforce management and business operations, not just a way to keep track of hours worked.

What are the 9 most common ways to cheat tracking software?

1.   Utilizing a Dual Monitor Setup

The use of dual displays is one method that employees frequently use to trick time-tracking software. They can do personal activities on one screen and work-related duties on the other with this configuration.

This method makes it appear that work is done nonstop, even during idle moments, making it more difficult for companies to keep an accurate eye on their operations. But keep in mind that, as a company leader, you have the tools to remain knowledgeable and in charge.

Solution:

As an employer, selecting a reliable monitoring tool that effectively tracks activity across dual monitor setups is crucial. This way, your employees have fewer chances to bypass the system and mislead you about their productivity.

2.   Leveraging Remote Access Tools

Employees can use remote access methods to get around time tracking software. They can work on personal projects during office hours without being observed by using this way to connect to their work computers from home or another location.

Solution:

Businesses could use time-tracking software designed for remote work situations to combat this problem. Businesses can effectively monitor employee activity, even while they are working remotely, thanks to this program.

3.   Automated Mouse Movement Techniques

Although it may seem absurd, some individuals automate mouse motions with battery-operated toys. The monitoring gadget is tricked into detecting activity when it links the toy to the mouse and allows it to move the device.

The activity report appears to indicate productivity at first glance, but it’s just a cunning effort to fool the employee monitoring system.

Using a mouse-jiggling device to fool employee monitoring software is another option; these are exactly what they sound like. These gadgets are very cunning when it comes to dodging time trackers. Similar to an invisible hand, they move the mouse pointer very little to mimic an involved and active employee.

Simply place this tiny device into a USB port to give the impression that something is always moving on the screen. Reports may suggest nonstop work, but the situation could be as easygoing as a TV marathon or snoozing while deceiving the monitoring system.

Solution:

Businesses should think about purchasing activity-monitoring tools for their time-tracking software. With this improvement, companies can now see what their employees are doing on their laptops. This kind of capability makes a big difference in identifying situations when someone might be attempting to get around the system.

4.   Employing Misleading Windows Tactics

Some have perfected the art of seeming productive while simultaneously viewing videos. To accomplish this, they first create a full-screen window for leisure (such as a film or TV show), and then they place a smaller window of an application for work (like Word, Excel, or CRM) on top of it. This smaller window tricked the monitoring tool into thinking it was actively working by acting as a ruse.

The worker resizes this “work” window to fit their leisure needs as little as possible, and the tracking program records the front-end job as productive.

Solution:

However, managers can identify if an employee utilizes these distraction strategies by employing sophisticated time-tracking tools like Flowace. Flowace uses complex algorithms to determine activity levels by analyzing how much is used on the keyboard and mouse. As a result, Flowace can determine whether an employee is using their smartphone for legitimate work-related activities, even if they use a fake window.

5.   Timing Screenshots Predictively

A screenshot option is included in many monitoring software, but astute users have figured out when to expect the next capture. They take advantage of this by seeming to be busy right before the snapshot is taken, then going back to being idle after it’s taken.

Considering this strategy, choosing a monitoring solution that relies on more than just screenshots is a good idea. Look for a solution that provides more than just sporadic snapshots of your team’s activity levels—one that gives you a complete picture.

This method makes sure that workers’ total productivity cannot be fraudulently stated, even if they manage to get around the screenshot feature.

Solution:

Use Flowace if you’re worried that staff members may guess the snapshot schedule. Employees cannot anticipate or be ready for the unpredictable intervals at which this technology takes screenshots and videos.

6.   Concealing Activities from Time Trackers

Workers may use a different, unmonitored computer for work or focus on personal projects during business hours to avoid being tracked.

Businesses should use time-tracking software with activity monitoring and screenshot features to prevent this. With the help of these capabilities, companies can continue to monitor worker behaviour even when they are not being watched.

Employees can get around time-tracking software in a lot of ways. Businesses can, however, use several tactics to stop these kinds of actions.

By using the right time-tracking software, companies may ensure honesty and transparency in the workplace by confirming the accuracy of their employees’ stated work hours.

7.   Turning Off the Tracking Software

A worker who doesn’t want to be watched over could try to turn off the time-tracking program entirely. This could entail a number of strategies, like removing the software from the computer, stopping the process while it’s running, or deleting the data files.

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Solution:

Businesses should use time-tracking software that is difficult to remove and secure against tampering to prevent such situations. Choosing a cloud-based solution has additional advantages because staff are less likely to disable or remove it.

8.   Modifying the Software’s Code

Some extremely tech-savvy and skilled workers may manipulate a monitoring app’s code, allowing it to follow only particular behaviors. It’s not an easy task. This is a very difficult task, but it is not completely impossible.

You must get in contact with the monitoring app’s support team if you ever detect such manipulation occurring within your company. They can assist in locating and fixing the problem. As such, make sure your time-tracking program has a solid customer support team.

Solution:

It’s also a good idea to use a time tracker with strong, advanced encryption. For example, Flowace protects data from manipulation by using military-grade encryption (Rijndael CBC 256-bit).

It is possible to hack the system, but it would take a lot of resources and sophisticated technologies. That’s an implausible situation, like needing resources on par with a fictional character such as Tony Stark.

9.   Operating Within a Virtual Machine

With the use of software, users can run many operating systems on a single computer by using virtual machines. An employee might be able to use this configuration to clock in on one operating system and then switch to another to perform non-billable work tasks.

Solution:

A prediction model can be developed by examining an employee’s work patterns and the software screenshots‘ timing intervals. This model can predict with accuracy when a worker is most likely to take a screenshot.

This knowledge can be used to create employee time monitoring systems that are stronger and harder to tamper with.

10. Using Low-Tech Distractions

Some employees rely on simple, low-tech methods to trick monitoring tools. For example, they might place a weighted object on the mouse to keep it moving slightly or position a small fan to nudge the mouse at regular intervals. While these tricks require little effort or technical skill, they can still fool basic idle time detection features.

Solution:
Choose monitoring software that tracks not just mouse movement but also keyboard activity, app usage, and overall interaction patterns. Tools like Flowace use activity-level scoring to detect genuine work behavior instead of relying solely on movement.

11. Fake Active Apps and Scripts

Tech-savvy employees can use background applications or browser scripts that automatically generate keystrokes and mouse clicks. This creates the illusion of continuous activity, even when no actual work is being done.

Solution:
Opt for monitoring software with intelligent activity verification. For instance, Flowace analyzes application context and user behavior to determine if the activity is related to real work tasks. This ensures that simulated input from scripts or bots is flagged and investigated.

How to Stop Your Remote Employees from Cheating at Work

While most workers are dependable and industrious, occasionally, a few may try to take advantage of the system. Here is a list of practical tactics and guidelines to follow to prevent cheating among remote workers:

 

• Establish specific goals. Make it clear what you anticipate from them in terms of performance standards, assignment completion dates, and working hours. To hold staff members responsible, set clear objectives and deadlines.
• Plan frequent updates: Hold frequent meetings with remote workers to discuss their goals, challenges, and advancements. This encourages efficient communication and lets you keep an eye on their output.
• Put time-tracking procedures in place. Make use of tools or software to monitor your employees’ work progress and active hours. This aids in comprehending their daily schedule and identifying any anomalies.
• Encourage teamwork among remote workers by organizing events and working together on projects to foster a sense of teamwork. This decreases the possibility of cheating by fostering a collaborative workplace where staff members rely on one another.
• Provide the assistance that’s needed. Give remote workers the resources, training, and tools they need to finish their jobs quickly and effectively. Sufficient assistance can discourage workers from engaging in dishonest behaviour.
• Maintain a balance between oversight and trust. While it’s critical to review your employees’ work for correctness and quality frequently, it’s equally critical to trust them. Evaluations or audits conducted at random can assist in identifying potential wrongdoing.

Effective time tracking tips to prevent employees from cheating

Use These Tips to Keep Time Tracking Honest

• Pick the right tool: Go for software that offers features like idle time detection, activity levels, and app/URL tracking without being intrusive. Tools like Flowace strike a good balance.

• Be transparent: Let your team know what’s being tracked and why. When people understand the purpose, they’re more likely to cooperate.

• Focus on outcomes, not just hours: Shift from micromanaging to results-based performance. If goals are met, a few minutes here and there shouldn’t matter.

• Use screenshots wisely: Occasional, random screenshots can help verify activity without feeling overly invasive.

• Enable real-time tracking: Real-time timers reduce the chance of manual edits or fudging logs later.

• Regularly audit logs: Review time entries for suspicious patterns like repeated identical hours or clock-ins with no task details.

• Create a culture of trust: Cheating usually comes from lack of trust or unclear expectations. Build an environment where honesty feels easier than trickery.

• Reward transparency: Recognize and appreciate employees who consistently log time accurately. Positive reinforcement works better than punishment.

Opt for Flowace: A Reliable and Secure Monitoring Solution

Are you worried that workers may be cheating on time?

Flowace is available to help you relax.

Strong time monitoring software Flowace is made to be impervious to tampering, so workers can’t remove or disable it. Staff cannot stop or remove it because it is hosted on the cloud.

Additionally, Flowace’s integration offers activity tracking and snapshot features, which effectively foil any attempts at cheating.

Flowace has a ton of features to improve workflow management and prevent cheating in employee monitoring software, such as:

• Customizable task lists
• Deadline-setting capabilities
• Progress tracking for employees
• Daily activity logs
• Employee hour tracking
• Integrated time tracking and invoicing
• A cloud-based attendance system
• Timesheet cloud solution

Conclusion

While employee monitoring software has become more sophisticated, employees have also become more inventive in finding workarounds. The key to staying ahead isn’t just about using the most advanced software — it’s about combining smart technology with clear communication, trust-building, and realistic productivity expectations.

Tools like Flowace offer tamper-proof, cloud-based monitoring with advanced features like unpredictable screenshot capture, dual monitor tracking, and military-grade encryption. But the real win comes when businesses use these tools not just to police employees, but to empower them — making productivity a shared goal rather than a one-sided watch.

For a foolproof time-tracking system that employees can’t circumvent, Flowace is the ideal choice.