Advancements in employee monitoring technology have transformed how organizations gather and analyze surveillance data in real time, offering unprecedented insights into their workforces. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption of various remote work models, persisting even post-pandemic. With extended remote work policies, companies increasingly rely on monitoring to manage employees, posing challenges like reduced engagement or “quiet quitting.” Through social exchange theory (SET), we examine the impact of monitoring and remote work on engagement and job appeal. Findings reveal that monitoring negatively impacts engagement and appeal, with perceptions of employer trust and engagement mediating the relationship between monitoring and appeal. Surprisingly, flexible work arrangements do not enhance engagement or appeal, and fully remote arrangements have a negative effect. Our study underscores the need for organizations to consider the effects of active monitoring and remote work on engagement and appeal, as well as seek alternative strategies to improve perceptions of employer trust.

Data Availability: Contact the authors.

JEL Classifications: M41; M54; J24.

Keywords:
active monitoring, employee monitoring, remote work, employee engagement, trust, job appeal
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2025