The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has suspended work-from-home privileges for its entire department after discovering that at least 26 officers, staff, and contractors were caught cheating the system by using an object to hold a key down on their keyboard. This was done to fake productivity and avoid detection by anti-corruption investigation tools such as keyloggers.
Chief Constable Terry Woods stated that the abnormal keystroke behavior could be caused by an item left on a keypad, pressing down one key. The department had installed keyloggers to ensure that work-issued laptops are only used for official business. However, it appears this was not enough to prevent some staff from cheating.
The discovery of fake productivity comes after another officer, Detective Constable Niall Thubron, was banned from returning to the police force in May 2025 due to similar misconduct. Thubron had been found to have pressed keys repeatedly on his laptop over several periods between December 2024 and January 2025.
Remote work has enabled increased productivity for some roles but is also prone to abuse when staff are not observed by colleagues or supervisors. Companies often use tools like keyloggers and screen recorders to monitor employee activity, while workers have pushed back against these measures, feeling that their corporations do not trust them.
The incident highlights the challenges of implementing work-from-home policies, particularly when it comes to monitoring employee productivity. While companies want to avoid abuse, they must also strike a balance between trusting their employees and maintaining control over productivity.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/uk-cops-busted-for-faking-productivity-while-working-from-home-by-holding-down-keys-on-keyboard-26-officers-and-staff-reportedly-caught-trying-to-trick-keylogging-software