A California Street cable car travels past the headquarters of Wells Fargo & Co., in San Francisco, Thursday, April 9, 2009. Wells Fargo & Co. said Thursday it expects record first-quarter earnings of $3 billion, easily surpassing analysts’ estimates and providing an encouraging sign for the banking industry. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
SAN FRANSCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Bank has fired over a dozen workers for alleged “simulation of keyboard activity,” according to regulatory filings cited by Bloomberg. The employees who lost their jobs were in the bank’s wealth and investment management unit, Bloomberg said.
The publication cited Financial Industry Regulatory Industry (FINRA) filings that indicated the employees were “discharged after review of allegations involving simulation of keyboard activity creating impression of active work. “Mouse movers,” also known as “mouse jigglers,” simulate mouse motion to give the impression that someone is at their keyboards.
Mouse mover apps and devices reportedly grew in popularity with the rise of remote work during the pandemic. According to a post on its website, Wells Fargo allows corporate employees to work a hybrid schedule, allowing employees “the flexibility to work from home on some days and at the office on others.”
The FINRA filing cited by Bloomberg did not indicate whether the fired employees were working remotely at the time they were let go.
Read More: Wells Fargo fires employees for simulating being at their keyboards: report