Home office, mouse jigglers & co: How working time fraud is becoming the new risk factor

When technology seems smarter than the boss

Since working from home has become the new normal in many jobs, a dark side of digital work has also become widespread: working time fraud. And it often starts quite harmlessly - for example, with a small device that simply moves the mouse while you are standing at the fridge or walking the dog. These little helpers are called mouse jigglers and they trick the computer into thinking you are active - even though nobody is there.

What sounds like a clever trick actually costs companies a lot of money. Because not everyone is really productive when working from home - and not every fraud is immediately visible.

Falsifying working hours - not an isolated case, but everyday life?

According to recent surveys, around 13% of employees in Germany do not record their working hours correctly. Even more - a full three quarters - state that they sometimes do things during working hours that have nothing to do with work. Whether it's quickly clearing out the dishwasher or making a private phone call - this often goes unnoticed when working from home.

Of course, the temptation is great: no colleagues are looking over your shoulder and many bosses rely on trust. But this is exactly what is sometimes exploited. Even modern time recording programs can't prevent everything - and some employees get really creative when it comes to circumventing them. Incidentally, the problem doesn't just affect the "little employees", but runs through all levels - right up to management.

Why do people cheat on their working hours?

The reasons are rarely black and white. Of course there are also people who simply don't feel like it. But there are often deeper reasons behind it. Many feel underchallenged, ignored or poorly paid. If overtime is not remunerated or you don't see any opportunities for development, you're not far away from resigning - and thus also from taking revenge on the system.

Some say quite openly: "I do my work in four hours - why should I sit around for eight?" Others juggle family, children or caring responsibilities and find no other way to manage the daily tasks. And then there's the feeling that nobody in the company notices whether you're productive or not anyway.

What does labor law say?

The legal situation is clear: anyone who deliberately deceives can be warned or even dismissed without notice. This also applies to seemingly harmless things - for example, if breaks are not stamped correctly or someone regularly carries out private errands during working hours. Courts often rule in favor of the employer in such cases.

In practice, however, things are often not so clear-cut. In many companies, it is not clearly regulated what is considered flexible working time and what is considered fraud. And as long as this is not clearly communicated, there is plenty of room for misunderstandings - and conflicts.

What Recht 24/7 says about it:

Working time fraud is encouraged when structures no longer match reality. Those who only ever monitor instead of trusting their employees will lose out in the long run. The future of work does not lie in constant monitoring, but in clear rules and fair dealings with one another. And who really only pretends to work? Not only can they expect unpleasant consequences, they should also ask themselves whether they are in the right job at all.