TikTok is keeping an eye on employees through tracking app, threatened if they do not come to office and work – Dainik Savera Times
San Francisco: In an unusual effort to get employees to work in the office, TikTok this month introduced a new tool for tracking office attendance, called the MyRTO app. Employees are disappointed by the move, as the company has asked many of its approximately 7,000 US employees to come to the office three times a week, while some teams have been asked to work five days a week.
According to the information, the app monitors the badge swipes that employees make when they enter the office premises and asks employees to report ‘deviations’ regarding absence on the days when they are in the office. Badge swipes data will be analyzed by employee supervisors and human resources (HR) staff. The report noted that employees were warned that any willful and persistent neglect could result in disciplinary action and affect performance reviews.
A section of the TikTok workforce has expressed ‘frustration and disappointment’ over the attendance policy. The report said one employee said the app and threats of punishment were unnecessary, and colleagues are now worried about the consequences of failing to comply. Jodi Seth, a spokesperson for TikTok, said the tool was meant to help set expectations for office attendance.
“The ultimate goal of MyRTO is to provide both employees and leaders with greater clarity and context around their RTO expectations and office schedules, and to help foster more transparent communication,” Seth was quoted as saying. TikTok started a strict return-to-work policy in October last year after the Corona virus epidemic subsided. Employees were also warned that those who violated the policy would be fired.
Last month, video conferencing platform Zoom announced the end of work from home (WFH) and asked all its employees to come to the office for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Insider, the company has asked employees living within 50 miles of any Zoom office to come to work at least two days a week, based on a hybrid model.
