'Dystopian' | Workplace surveillance more likely to target young, female & black staff

Worker surveillance is as old as work itself, but new technology is making it easier and cheaper than ever.

Technologies like webcam, movement and email monitoring exploded in popularity during the pandemic, and while there are legitimate uses for this monitoring, such as ensuring health and safety and fulfilling some regulatory requirements, excessive surveillance can harm workers’ wellbeing, increase staff turnover and lead to counter-productive work behaviours, such as company sabotage.

And now, a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows that these ‘dystopian’ worker surveillance techniques are more likely to disproportionately affect young people, women and minority employees.

Workers in non-unionised, ‘low autonomy’ and low-skilled jobs are more likely to be surveilled at work, IPPR argues, and people aged 16-29 are the most likely to be in such jobs.