‘Chilling effect’ | Black employees most likely to be targeted by workplace surveillance - report

Black workers and young employees are particularly susceptible to workplace surveillance, including facial recognition and biometric tracking, a think tank report has revealed.

The study, published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), found that roles with lower levels of skill requirements, worker autonomy, and union representation are more likely to be monitored with invasive technology.

Following the release of the report, the IPPR called on the UK government to take action with expanded legislation that would give employees more control over how they are monitored by their employer.

Black workers at ‘significantly greater risk’ of invasive workplace surveillance

According to the IPPR study, Black workers are more likely to be placed in low-autonomy (26%) and low skill (42%) roles, such as in the retail sector, compared with other ethnicities, including white workers (21% and 34% respectively) and Asian workers (19% and 32%.)