Suzie Cheiko, an Australian woman who worked as a consultant for Insurance Australia Group (IAG) for 18 years, was fired after her employer used keystroke technology to assess her productivity.
Cheiko was put on a performance improvement plan in November 2022 after her managers noticed that she was not meeting deadlines, attending meetings, or completing tasks. As part of the plan, her keyboard strokes were monitored for 49 days between October and December.
During the monitoring period, Cheiko averaged 54 keyboard presses per hour, which was significantly lower than the average number of keystrokes for other employees in her position. Her managers also found that she often started her work late, finished early, or did not work at all on some days.
In February 2023, Cheiko was fired for her poor performance. She appealed the decision to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), but the FWC ruled in favor of IAG.
Cheiko has said that she was going through personal and mental health issues at the time of her firing, and that her employer did not take her health into consideration. She has also said that she was targeted because of her mental health. Cheiko is currently looking for a new job. She has also started a TikTok account to share her story and raise awareness about the use of keystroke monitoring technology.
The sources for this piece include an article in BoredPanda.
