A productivity signal, not a surveillance score.
Keyboard and mouse activity levels, shown alongside the actual work being tracked — so a quiet hour of deep focus doesn’t get flagged the same as an idle one.
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Why a raw activity percentage is a misleading metric on its own
A developer deep in focused problem-solving might type in short, deliberate bursts with long pauses to think — producing a low raw “activity percentage” despite doing genuinely valuable work. A person mindlessly scrolling with the mouse moving constantly can produce a high activity score while accomplishing nothing. Treating activity percentage as a direct productivity score misreads both situations.
StaffTiming reports activity level as one input among several — shown alongside the task being worked on, time logged, and (where enabled) screenshots — so a manager reviewing the data sees context, not just a number to rank employees by. The goal is spotting genuine patterns worth a conversation, not creating a leaderboard that punishes thoughtful work.
Everything this covers
Keyboard & mouse activity levels
Measured as a percentage of active input during tracked time, shown in context.
Trend reporting over time
Activity patterns shown over days and weeks, not just a single-session snapshot.
Task-level activity correlation
Activity data linked to the specific task being tracked, not just a daily aggregate.
Configurable sensitivity
Adjust what counts as “active” input to match different work styles.
No automatic penalties
Activity data informs manager review — the system never auto-flags or auto-penalizes based on percentage alone.
Team-level aggregate views
See patterns across a team without drilling into individual surveillance-style detail.
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Why teams choose this over the alternative
Context over raw numbers
Activity level is shown alongside task and time data, not as an isolated score.
No automated penalties
The system flags patterns for manager review — it never auto-punishes based on a percentage.
Configurable to work style
Sensitivity settings account for roles where quiet, focused work is normal.
Built to start conversations, not rankings
Reporting is designed for one-on-one context, not a company-wide leaderboard.
What activity levels measure — and what they don’t
| Activity levels show | Activity levels do not show |
|---|---|
| Whether the keyboard and mouse are in use during tracked time | What was typed or clicked |
| Trends across days and weeks | The quality or value of the work |
| Differences between tasks (e.g. coding vs meetings) | Thinking, reading, calls or whiteboard work |
| Long periods of inactivity during a running timer | Why the person was inactive |
Because calls, reading and planning look “inactive”, a good activity percentage varies hugely by role. A designer at 70% and an account manager at 40% may both be having excellent days.
Using activity data to help, not punish
- Compare people with their own baselineA sudden drop over several weeks is more meaningful than a single low day or a comparison with a colleague in a different role.
- Look at the task, not just the percentageActivity is shown alongside the task, so a low score during a client call makes sense immediately.
- Ask before concludingLow activity can mean blockers, unclear priorities, tool problems or burnout. A conversation finds out which.
- Fix systems firstIf a whole team’s activity drops on certain days, look at meetings and processes before individuals.
Adjusting sensitivity
Sensitivity can be tuned to the work style of each team, so roles with lots of reading or calls are not flagged unfairly. Nothing is penalised automatically; activity is context for managers and employees, not a score that triggers action.
More in keyboard and mouse activity tracking: what it measures and the productivity percentage calculator.
Common questions
Does low activity automatically flag an employee?
No — activity data is available for manager review but never triggers automatic penalties or alerts on its own.
Can activity tracking be disabled for specific roles?
Yes — it’s an independent toggle, so roles like writers or designers doing screen-light work can have it turned off.
Is activity tracking the same as keylogging?
No — StaffTiming measures activity levels (frequency of input), not the content of what’s typed.
How is this different from screen monitoring?
Activity tracking measures input frequency continuously; screen monitoring shows the actual screen content at specific moments. They’re independent features.
What is a good activity percentage?
There is no universal number. It depends on the role: heavy computer work shows higher activity than roles with calls, reading or meetings. Compare trends for the same person and role.
Can activity tracking run without screenshots?
Yes. Activity levels, screenshots and screen monitoring are separate settings, so you can use any one of them on its own.
Can activity tracking be off while time tracking stays on?
Yes. Activity tracking is a separate, optional setting per role.
Ready to get started?
Start your free trial today — no credit card required.