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Union Claims That Mass Dismissals in Home Office Used Click Metrics, Screen Time, and Digital Activity as Justification for Cuts in 2025
Itaú Unibanco is at the center of a controversy after promoting mass layoffs in the home office. According to the Union of Bank Employees of São Paulo, Osasco, and Region, more than 1,000 workers were dismissed in September 2025. The institution does not confirm the number but justified the cuts citing a “careful review” of conduct related to remote work and timekeeping.
According to information from G1, the layoffs were based on digital metrics such as clicks, mouse and keyboard usage time, alt tab, scroll, and time spent in virtual meetings. The monitoring model has sparked criticism from experts and unions, who point to a lack of transparency and risks to the mental health of bank employees.
Who Were the Affected by the Layoffs?
Among those dismissed is ‘Marcos’ (name created by the BBC), a technology department employee who worked nearly ten years at the bank, accumulating promotions and awards.
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Nevertheless, he was fired on the grounds of “low productivity” in remote work.
He reported that he even worked on weekends, but his digital activity was deemed insufficient:
“We didn’t see the platform, we don’t know how it works. We are only left with suspicion and wanting to understand why we were chosen,” he told the union.
How Did the Bank Monitor Employees?
According to Itaú and reports from former employees, the process involved:
mouse and keyboard usage time;
access to licensed software;
participation in video calls;
sending internal messages;
browsing records, such as alt tab and scroll;
completion of corporate courses.
The bank stated that it did not capture screens, audio, or video but used these indicators as a basis for management decisions.
For workers like Marcos, the process was not transparent and raised doubts about the objective criteria used for the dismissals.
What Was the Union’s Reaction?
The Union of Bank Employees classified the layoffs as excessive and unjustifiable.
According to the organization, using digital metrics as a central criterion to justify mass layoffs in the home office is dangerous, as it increases psychological pressure, encourages abusive working hours, and creates a constant surveillance environment.
The organization stated that it intends to contact labor oversight agencies to investigate possible abuses and report the practice as a violation of collective rights.
What Do Experts Say About the Case?
According to attorney Paulo Renato Fernandes da Silva, a professor at FGV Direito Rio, the employer has the right to monitor remote work, but contracts should be clear about monitoring methods.
He emphasizes that Brazilian legislation allows dismissal without just cause, but good practices include prior feedback, dialogue, and training before termination.
Experts also warn about the risk of companies confusing “connected time” with actual productivity, creating distortions in performance evaluation.
What Was Itaú’s Official Position?
In a statement, the bank declared that it identified “patterns incompatible with trust principles, non-negotiable for the institution” among a minority of employees.
According to Itaú, the decisions were made within a process of “responsible management” and all employees were aware of internal policies regarding working hours and equipment use.
Despite this, unions and workers claim that the methodology was not disclosed in detail and that there was a lack of transparency in applying the criteria.
The mass layoffs in the home office at Itaú raise a crucial debate about the limits of digital surveillance in the workplace.
To what extent can clicks, mouse movements, or screen time be used as criteria for productivity?
And what are the impacts of this model on the mental health of workers?
And you, do you believe that digital monitoring is a fair way to assess productivity in the home office, or do you think it could generate abuses and unjustified cuts? Leave your opinion in the comments — we want to hear from those who live this reality in practice.
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