Wells Fargo terminates employees over fake keyboard activity
- Wells Fargo fires over a dozen employees for faking work through simulated keyboard activity.
- The bank undertook investigations into allegations of employees mimicking keyboard activity.
- Employees terminated after review of fake keyboard input claims.
Wells Fargo fired employees for faking work by simulating keyboard activity. The bank stated that staff were let go for creating the impression of active work through this deception. Large firms have been monitoring employees with tools that track keystrokes, eye movements, and website usage. Some employees use "mouse jigglers" to appear active when not working. Wells Fargo's move was initially reported by Bloomberg based on a filing to the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Remote work has decreased in popularity, with only 27% of paid days in the US being remote in May compared to over 60% during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. About 13% of full-time US workers are fully remote, while 26% have a hybrid schedule. Wells Fargo implemented a hybrid flexible working model in 2022, allowing staff to work from home part of the time.