One in five tech workers are subject to workplace surveillance software which is being used to monitor their activity across in-office, hybrid and remote settings, a Prospect Union survey has found.

Apparently managers used the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid working, to start using monitoring software to keep an eye on their employees working from home.  Apparently, it did not matter that the job was being done, it was more important that it was being done when managers said it should be. 

Many of the digital monitoring tools available today allow enterprises to see a range of information about their employees’ activities, from recording their keystrokes and mouse clicks to tracking their physical location and use of applications or websites.

The software can help enterprises to conduct predictive and behavioural analytics, enabling managers to understand and track how productive employees are over time. It can also be used to feed algorithms with human resource functions, including hiring and firing.

Prospect said workers were being kept in the dark about how the surveillance software monitoring them works.

Only 11 per cent of survey respondents – which include both union and non-union members – were “very sure” what data their employer was collecting about them and why. Just over two in five were “somewhat” or “very” unsure what data their employer was gathering on them or how it was being used.

A significant majority (69 per cent) said they would like to see their employer do more to support the development and deployment of responsible technology.

Andrew Pakes, deputy general secretary of Prospect Union. “Growing surveillance at work has quickly become a mainstream work issue facing people across all industries.

“Digital technology means we can now work almost anywhere, but it also means our work can follow us everywhere. The fact that this surveillance is affecting tech workers shows the extent to which digital technology is changing how we are managed and work.