Australian Woman Fired After 18 Years with Insurance Company for Low Typing Activity
Suzie Cheikho, a dedicated employee of Insurance Australia Group (IAG) for 18 years, recently lost her job due to low typing activity while working remotely. The company had implemented keystroke technology to monitor employees’ work-from-home performance, and this monitoring ultimately led to Cheikho’s dismissal.
Cheikho’s responsibilities included creating insurance documents, meeting deadlines, and ensuring compliance with remote work policies. However, she was fired for failing to meet deadlines and attend important meetings, frequently being absent and uncontactable, and even for failing to complete a task that resulted in a fine for her company.
Cheikho claimed that her termination was a result of her mental health issues, but the Fair Work Commission (FWC) conducted an investigation and concluded that she was fired for misconduct. During the investigation, it was revealed that the company had utilized keystroke technology to track Cheikho’s cyber activity for 49 days. This surveillance found that she often started work late, finished early, and did not work the designated hours outlined in her schedule. On certain days, she did not do any work at all.
The data obtained from keystroke technology indicated that Cheikho averaged only 54 strokes per hour during the surveillance period, suggesting that she was not meeting the requirements of her position. Cheikho attempted to challenge the accuracy of this data, claiming that she sometimes logged in using other devices. However, Deputy President Thomas Roberts of the FWC ruled that Cheikho was not fulfilling her obligations during designated working hours and therefore, her dismissal was justified.
Roberts emphasized that the termination was not unjust or unreasonable, highlighting Cheikho’s consistent failure to meet work requirements and her lack of responsiveness. Ultimately, the FWC rejected Cheikho’s application to be reinstated, further solidifying the validity of her dismissal.
While this incident raises concerns about the use of monitoring technology in remote work environments, the FWC’s ruling underlines the importance of complying with job expectations, even when working from home. Employees must remain accountable and fulfill their obligations to ensure productivity and organizational success.
