Watching me, watching you: Worker surveillance in the UK after the pandemic
Article
Worker surveillance is as old as work itself, but new technology is making it easier and cheaper than ever.
Data suggests that workplace surveillance practices have hugely expanded during the pandemic and are here to stay – though there are prominent data gaps around who, and to what extent, people are affected.
Unaddressed, the spread of these practices could leave workers permanently worse off, with the most adverse outcomes likely to impact those with the least power in the labour market.
In this report, we make policy recommendations that would help redress the balance of power between workers and employers. They would ensure that when surveillance is happening it is fair and proportionate as the law intends, respecting worker’s fundamental rights.
Related items

Will technology reduce the cost of delivering public services?
This is the third in a series of blogs related to IPPR Scotland’s project on ‘Employment, Productivity and Reform in the Scottish Public Sector’ funded by the Robertson Trust.
The full-speed economy: Does running a hotter economy benefit workers?
How a slightly hotter economy might be able to boost future growth.
Making the most of it: Unitarisation, hyperlocal democratic renewal and community empowerment
Local government reorganisation need not result in a weakening of democracy at the local level.