Staffwatcher

StaffWatcher is a desktop monitoring program for on-site, hybrid, or remote work teams. The tool records working time, captures screen images, and generates productivity reports without accessing confidential or private employee data. The system allows configuration of work start and end times, maintaining organized work documentation while respecting employee privacy outside scheduled hours.

★★★★★

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• Screenshot capture monitoring. The system takes periodic screenshots of the employee's desktop during the work shift. These images are stored in the administrator's history panel, allowing verification of work activities performed during each time period. Screenshot frequency is configured from the control dashboard, providing visual evidence of workflow without requiring constant manual supervision.
• Active and idle time recording. StaffWatcher distinguishes between periods of activity (mouse movement, keyboard use, window interaction) and periods of inactivity. The software accumulates only active hours for productivity calculations, ignoring long breaks or absence from the computer. This feature delivers real metrics of time spent on actual tasks.
• Application usage monitoring. The program identifies and records which applications (browsers, text editors, spreadsheets, development environments, etc.) each employee has used and for how long. Administrators view reports broken down by application, facilitating detection of distractions or validation of authorized tool usage.
• Billable hours reporting. Using login and logout data combined with active time records, the system automatically generates billable timesheets. These reports include total hours worked per day, week, or month, and can be exported for integration with payroll systems or external client billing.
• Attendance management via connection logging. Each time an employee logs into StaffWatcher, their check-in time is recorded. When closing the workday, check-out time is logged. The control panel displays lateness, absences, and schedule compliance, allowing supervisors to manage attendance incidents without paper sheets or manual timesheets.
• Configurable monitoring schedules. The administrator defines time windows (for example, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM) during which the software captures activity. Outside this interval, StaffWatcher does not take screenshots or record movements, protecting worker privacy outside working hours.
• Productivity metrics dashboard. A centralized interface shows charts of active time per employee, most used applications, weekly activity trends, and low productivity alerts. Supervisors consult this data in real time without installing additional plugins.
• Data export to standard formats. Generated reports (timesheets, activity summaries, screenshots) can be exported in CSV, PDF, or ZIP formats. This feature facilitates external analysis, auditing, or sending evidence to clients without depending on the program's interface.
• Transparent mode with employee notification. The software operates under a transparency principle: workers see an icon or notification indicating their activity is being monitored. No processes are hidden, and no screenshots are taken without prior notice, complying with workplace privacy regulations.
• Remote environment compatibility without personal data access. StaffWatcher does not track personal emails, does not access the web camera, and does not use GPS. Monitoring is limited to activity during working hours on the work desktop, excluding personal folders, passwords, or private communications.
• Activity history by project or task. If an employee works on multiple projects, the administrator can assign task tags or codes. The software classifies active time based on the window or application used, generating dedication reports per project without requiring manual stopwatches.
• Low activity or prolonged absence alerts. The system sends notifications to the supervisor when an employee remains inactive for longer than a configurable threshold (for example, 20 minutes). This allows rapid resource reassignment or technical incident verification without waiting for the daily report.

StaffWatcher development began in 2018 as an internal solution for a software development company that needed to measure remote team productivity without invading privacy. The original creators are a team of system engineers based in Spain and Latin America, specializing in workforce management tools. The first stable version was released in 2019 under the name StaffWatcher v1.0, with basic screenshot capture and active time counting functions. The primary programming language used in the backend is C# on .NET Core, while the desktop client uses WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and native Windows components. For data synchronization and remote storage, a Node.js API with PostgreSQL database was implemented. Since 2020, the program has added automated reporting, export to standard formats, and configurable scheduling mode.

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