Press Story

Workers in low autonomy, low skill and non-trade union jobs more likely to be surveilled at work, says IPPR
Facial recognition, biometric tracking, and keystroke monitoring adopted without employee consent
New laws are needed to give workers a say over surveillance and algorithmic management, recommends think tank

Black workers in the UK may be at significantly greater risk of being subjected to surveillance and algorithmic management technologies at work, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Researchers say that employees in roles with low autonomy, low skill levels, and without union representation are at a higher risk of being monitored using intrusive technologies. This typically includes sectors such as retail.

As a result, Black workers may be at greater risk of being surveilled than other ethnic groups, as they are more likely to be in low-autonomy (26 per cent) and low-skill (42 per cent) roles, while 73 per cent are not members of a trade union.

Younger workers (16-29), and people still working over the age of 60, are also more likely than workers aged 30-59 to be employed in these kinds of roles.

The report warns that this unequal exposure to workplace surveillance risks exacerbating existing inequalities in the UK labour market, infringing on workers’ rights and undermining wellbeing.

Rapidly advancing technologies are enabling widespread and increasingly intrusive surveillance of UK workers, often without their input or consent. This includes the use of facial recognition, biometric tracking, and tools that monitor everything from keystrokes to workers’ emotional states.

IPPR is calling on the government to introduce new legislation that gives workers a genuine voice over how they are monitored at work, and to expand protections to include algorithmic management systems – which increasingly automate performance reviews, shift allocations, and even disciplinary action. Key recommendations include:

New legal rights to consultation, modelled on redundancy law, ensuring workers are consulted before surveillance technologies are introduced

Surveillance added as a statutory subject of collective bargaining, empowering unions to negotiate on this growing area of concern

Information transparency requirements, compelling employers to disclose what data is collected, why, and how it will be used

Strong enforcement mechanisms, including tribunal access and financial penalties for employers that breach new duties

Joseph Evans, IPPR researcher and co-author of the report, said:

“Workplace surveillance has expanded rapidly in recent years, but the law hasn’t kept up. Black workers are more likely to be in jobs where there’s a higher risk of intrusive surveillance. Without urgent reform, new technologies may deepen the inequalities already baked into the labour market. We need new rights that ensure all workers – especially those most at risk – have a say over how they’re monitored and managed.

“The government’s pledge to introduce negotiation rights is welcome. Ministers should legislate for these rights as soon as possible as part of wider upgrades to workers’ rights. People urgently need a real voice over how they’re monitored and managed at work.”

ENDS

Joseph Evans, researcher at IPPR and a co-author of the report, is available for interview

CONTACT

David Wastell, director of news and communications: 07921 403651 d.wastell@ippr.org

Liam Evans, senior digital and media officer: 07419 365334 l.evans@ippr.org

Rosie Okumbe, digital and media officer: 07825 185421 r.okumbe@ippr.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

The IPPR paper Negotiating the future of work: Legislating to protect workers from surveillance, by Joe Atkinson and Joseph Evans, will be published at 0001 on Friday May 30. It will then be available for download at: https://www.ippr.org/articles/negotiating-the-future-of-work-surveillance
Advance copies of the report are available under embargo on request
Joe Atkinson, co-author, is a lecturer in employment law at the University of Southampton. He is an expert in workers’ rights.
IPPR analysed the Institute for Social and Economic Research’s UK Household Longitudinal Survey to produce the data included in this press release.
IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society. We are researchers, communicators, and policy experts creating tangible progressive change, and turning bold ideas into common sense realities. Working across the UK, IPPR, IPPR North, and IPPR Scotland are deeply connected to the people of our nations and regions, and the issues our communities face. We have helped shape national conversations and progressive policy change for more than 30 years. From making the early case for the minimum wage and tackling regional inequality, to proposing a windfall tax on energy companies, IPPR’s research and policy work has put forward practical solutions for the crises facing society. www.ippr.org