This makes me really glad that our company policy thus far has been giving employees new machines and have them set them up themselves. I know my work laptop has no spyware because I didn't install any.
It's quite rare for company-owned macs to be completely unmanaged. Usually the installation method for common corporate utilities is an MDM solution like Jamf (Self Service), which also transmits logs - for example how long each app was in the foreground[1] and what times you're using your computer[2].
None of them do any sort of monitoring like this.
At some of them, I have lead the security team. and others, I have been in charge of IT.
Even at the ones where its not my job to handle that, I am supremely confident that we use no such software.
Beyond the policy problems that it would cause (private keys and customer data could be viewed, requiring very broad access roles), it would also be next to impossible to implement from a technological standpoint.
At every company that I've worked at in the last 12 years, engineers have had the ability to wipe their machine and reinstall.
In most cases, they have the ability to swap out hard drives and other components, Bring them to Apple stores for repair, etc.
No one that I know of users custom VPN software, or closed source Cisco stuff anymore.
I think you are dramatically overestimating how common this sort of thing is.
And I got on the company Wi-Fi with a password. Still do.
If I get laid off (they're cutting 20% of the workforce next week), then I consider the computer my severance pay.
If they press the issue, they can come to my house and collect the machine. But I'll lick every part of it before I hand it over.
Childish? Oh, heck yeah. But when I see my own company screwing over its employees and customers to protect the CEO's pay (none of the C-levels took a cut), I just don't care.
I know its tempting and it's likely your only recourse but it won't work out for you in the end.