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This article analyzes the forms of control in an Italian-American automotive manufacturer. Based on a monographic survey approach (documentary work over the period 1993–2014, use of second-hand empirical materials, and semi-structured interviews with employees), the authors show the effects of a time-measurement system called Ergo-uas (Ergonomics-Universal Analyzing System) on work collectives. This system, which enables an improvement in both productivity and working conditions, has implications for the physical and psychological health of employees from the moment they are asked to become more involved, as well as cognitive effects, in the performance of their tasks. The more that work demands autonomy and initiative, and thus the subjectivity of the workers, the more they experience paradoxical situations in the practical execution of their work.