Company Fired 'Mouse Jiggling' Employees

Wells Fargo the third largest US bank has fired or accepted resignations from over a dozen employees for allegedly faking keyboard activity to appear productive while working remotely. 

This information emerged from broker filings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (Finra). 

The bank has not disclosed details on how the misconduct was detected. This incident coincides with new rules requiring home office inspections for brokers every three years.

Wells Fargo spokeswoman Laurie Kight emphasized the bank's strict standards and zero tolerance for unethical behavior. 

Large companies have increasingly used advanced monitoring tools to oversee remote workers tracking keystrokes, eye movements and website visits, a practice that became widespread during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In response counter-technologies like 'mouse jigglers' which simulate computer activity have become popular with thousands sold on Amazon recently.

Bloomberg reported the Wells Fargo firings mentioning over a dozen affected employees. The BBC confirmed six firings and one resignation. Most of those involved had been with the bank for less than five years. 

This incident happens amid a broader push by financial firms to return employees to the office despite the sustained popularity of remote work. 

Wells Fargo has adopted a hybrid work model for most employees since 2022 after the Covid-19 after effects started subsiding.