Employee gets shocked when manager asks him to install tracking software on his own laptop. Netizens react: 'Leave as fast as you can'

An employee recently shared his shock after his manager demanded that he install monitoring software on his personal laptop. Taking to the subreddit Indian Workplace, he explained that the company he had joined operated fully remotely and required staff to use their own devices for work. While that condition had initially seemed manageable, the situation escalated when his manager insisted that he add third-party tracking software to his private computer. The program was designed to capture screenshots every ten minutes, raising immediate concerns about privacy and personal data security.

The employee attempted to reason with his manager for nearly an hour, questioning why such intrusive software should be forced onto a device he personally owned. The manager defended the request by claiming it was a mandatory company policy, though this rule had never been mentioned in the offer letter. To add to his frustration, he noticed that some compliant colleagues had already installed the program and were using it to log their work hours.

The post sparked a strong wave of responses online. Many readers advised him to firmly refuse the installation unless the company provided an official work laptop or similar equipment. They argued that personal laptops should never be compromised with corporate tracking tools, as this created both ethical and legal grey areas. Others pointed out that if a company hides behind unwritten policies and pressures employees into surrendering their privacy, it may be time to start preparing for alternative employment.

Several commentators also recommended asking the manager to provide the request in writing, predicting that there was a high likelihood of retaliation if the employee continued to resist. For those unable to quit immediately due to financial constraints, one suggestion was to rent a low-cost laptop or use an older machine exclusively for company work, thereby safeguarding the main personal device.

Ultimately, the broader concern expressed by many was that using a personal computer for office tasks opens up the risk of the company claiming ownership over intellectual property created outside work hours. Some noted that if the organization had not officially declared the need for a personal laptop, the safest initial response would have been to state that no such device was available at home.