A monitoring policy should state why you monitor, which tools and data are covered, when monitoring happens, who can see the data, how long it is kept, how employees can ask questions or raise concerns, and that it is applied fairly. Give it to every employee, get acknowledgement and review it yearly. Some regions require one, so check yours.
Outline
- Purpose: why you track time and activity (client billing, project costing, workload).
- Scope: who is covered and which devices.
- What is collected: for Clockgauge, screenshots at random moments, the active app and window title, activity counts and call status if enabled.
- What is not collected: what is typed, passwords, audio or video, and anything while the timer is stopped.
- When: only while the person's timer is running.
- Who can see it: named roles, such as managers and payroll.
- Retention: for example screenshots deleted after 30 days.
- Security: how the data is protected.
- Rights and questions: who to contact and how concerns are handled.
- Acknowledgement: a signature or recorded agreement.
Wording tips
Write in plain language and keep it short. State the purpose in terms of the business need, not suspicion of staff.
Make it match reality
Align the policy with the settings in the Host: screenshots per window, blur, retention days, call detection. The employee's consent screen is generated from those settings, so they will see the same facts.
Sample wording for the "what is collected" clause
While your timer is running, Clockgauge takes up to two screenshots in every ten minutes at random moments, records the name of the application and window in use, and counts how much you type, click, scroll and move the mouse. It does not record what you type, your passwords, or audio or video of calls. It records nothing while your timer is stopped. Screenshots are stored on the company's own computer and deleted after 30 days. Only named managers can view them.
Edit the numbers to match your settings.
Questions people ask
Who must sign?
Everyone who will be monitored; keep the records.
How often to review?
At least yearly and whenever you change settings.
This is general information, not legal advice. Employment and privacy law differ by country, state and province and change often; take advice before introducing monitoring.
Try Clockgauge
Clockgauge is an employee and freelancer time tracker that runs on your own computer: timers, consented random screenshots, activity levels, clients, projects and tasks, budgets, payroll balances and reports, paid once instead of per user per month..