More and more employee data is being gathered as companies use electronic monitoring and algorithmic management to increase productivity and protect themselves against risk.
This is also impacting the job functions of workers, as their tasks can shift with updated technology, and some may find their livelihood increasingly dependent on algorithms.
While there are some laws in this area, those that protect privacy for workers are fewer and patchier than those applying to consumers.
Some are now calling for new protections and guardrails as the power imbalances and lack of transparency affect workers across industries and sectors.
Unions like National Nurses United and SEIU are working with legislators to create policies on workers’ rights in the face of algorithmic management while app-based advocacy groups are pushing for new minimum pay rates and against wage theft.
It is also worth remembering that while technology can enhance work, it can also erode privacy and lead toconfusion and stress for employees as they struggle to understand what is being monitored and how their behavior affects their work.
This is an issue that employers will need to keep in mind as they seek to implement these technologies.