One of the biggest US banks, Wells Fargo & Co., reportedly fired more than a dozen employees last month for pretending to work using keyboard simulation, according to a Bloomberg report. The employees, formerly part of the bank's wealth and investment management unit, were dismissed. However, whether their terminations were related to allegations of using keyboard simulation during remote work arrangements remains unclear.
The report states that the terminated employees were employed in the bank's wealth and investment management unit, according to disclosures filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
A spokesperson told Reuters, "Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards and does not tolerate unethical behaviour.”
Following the global shift to remote work during the COVID-19 era, there has been a rise in the use of devices and software designed to simulate employee activity. These tools, commonly referred to as "mouse movers" and "mouse jigglers," are readily accessible on Amazon.com at affordable prices.
Several financial firms in the US, including banks, have started requiring their employees to return to the office for a whole week. Companies such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have already mandated their employees' return following the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, Wells Fargo took longer than its competitors to return employees to the office.
In early 2022, the company initiated a transition to a "hybrid flexible model," encouraging employees to return to the office. The bank is gradually adjusting its policy, now requiring staff to be present in the office for at least three days a week. However, members of the management committee are expected to attend for four days, and certain employees, like those in the branches, are required to be in the office for five days.
This recent termination occurred years after the company dismissed employees for alleged violations of its expense policy, specifically related to reimbursement claims for ineligible evening meals.