How Employee mode works
Designed for small teams (remote freelancers, agency contractors, accountability partnerships) where someone needs to know work is actually getting done.
Employee mode enforces:
- A tracking schedule (e.g. Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00)
- A minimum active time per day / week / month
- Restrictions on unproductive apps during tracked hours
- Automatic report delivery to a manager or admin email
Setup flow
- Run the wizard, pick Employee mode.
- Set the admin account (manager or self).
- Define tracking schedule: which days, start time, end time.
- Set minimum active time targets (e.g. 30 hours/week minimum active).
- Configure unproductive-app restrictions (maybe Slack limits, maybe social media blocks).
- Configure report delivery: where reports go, how often.
Tracking schedule
Only active time during the tracking schedule counts toward minimums. Time outside the schedule is the employee's own — Focus doesn't log it.
Minimum working hours
If the employee falls short, the report flags it. No automatic punishment — just visibility. The team decides what to do with the data.
Privacy considerations
Get consent. Monitoring software on an employee's machine is a serious matter — legally and ethically. Always:
- Tell the employee what's tracked and why
- Get written acknowledgement
- Use the minimum data needed (don't enable screenshots if they aren't necessary)
- Follow local labour laws
Self-employee mode
You can use Employee mode on yourself — set your own targets, send yourself weekly reports. It's a good fit for freelancers who need external accountability.