Archive · 19 Nov 2025
Cognizant Clarifies Employee Laptop Tracking Tool's Purpose
Cognizant, a big IT company, started using a tool to track what employees do on their work laptops.
The tool checks which apps and websites they use and how much time they spend on tasks.
Cognizant says it's not using this to judge employees' work, but to help clients understand their processes better.
The company promises not to use the data for performance reviews and only uses it with employees' permission.
Cognizant deployed ProHance, a tool tracking employee laptop activity
Tool monitors keyboard/mouse movements, applications used, and idle time
Cognizant denies using tool for performance evaluation or punishment
Tool used in select projects at client's request, with employee consent
Metrics not factored into performance appraisals
- Who
- Cognizant, an IT services company
- What
- Deployed ProHance, a tool tracking employee laptop activity
- When
- Recently
- Where
- In specific projects, with employee consent
- Why
- To understand client processes better, not for performance evaluation
Employee Privacy Advocates
Cognizant Management
Employee Monitoring
Employee Privacy Advocates
Concerned about potential invasion of privacy and misuse of data
Cognizant Management
Denies using data for performance evaluation or punishment, emphasizes consent and data protection
- Tool Name
- ProHance
- Data Collected
- Keyboard/mouse movements, apps used, idle time
- Employee Consent
- Required before use
- Data Use
- To assess process design inefficiencies, not performance appraisals
- Projects Affected
- Select Business Process Management or Intuitive Operations & Automation projects