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

  1. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, River Thames and Westminster Bridge

    Taxing choices: Taking the public’s temperature ahead of the budget

    The stakes for a government are rarely higher than at a budget. Every chancellor has dealt with this differently. Ken Clarke would draft his budget speech with cigars and whisky, Gordon Brown pored over every word in what officials called…
  2. Scottish parliament building at Holyrood and Calton Hill, Edinburgh

    Great expectations: Rejuvenating the national debate in Scotland

    Fresh IPPR Scotland polling shows that politicians must raise their game if next year’s election is a to be serious debate about the challenges facing Scotland and potential solutions. 
  3. A Black man in a bright orange high vis jacket and hard hat stands in the middle of a road holding a sign that says 'STOP - WORKS'

    Unfinished business: Redressing inequality in British policy and Black lives

    As conversations about race and equality continue to evolve, Black History Month remains a powerful invitation to pause, reflect, and recommit to progress.