Black employees are at the highest risk of being targeted by workplace surveillance, according to research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The think tank claims that the rapid rise in use of technologies such as facial recognition, biometric tracking and keystroke monitoring will hit workers in low-skill and “low-autonomy” jobs the hardest – roles where black and ethnic minority workers are overrepresented.

In its report, Negotiating the future of work: Legislating to protect workers from surveillance, the IPPR found that black workers are 26% more likely to be in low-autonomy roles and 42% more likely to be in low-skill jobs. Furthermore, 73% are not members of a trade union.

Younger workers (between 16 and 29), alongside employees over 60, are also more likely than people between 30 and 59 to be employed in such roles.

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The IPPR believes that without legislation that gives employees more voice over how they are monitored at work, employers could introduce these surveillance tools without staff consent.

It is urging the government to introduce new legislation that ensures employees are consulted before any surveillance technologies are introduced.

It also suggests surveillance is added as a statutory subject of collective bargaining so unions can represent workers and negotiate on any areas of concern.

The IPPR would like the government to compel employers to disclose what surveillance data has been collected, why it was collected, and how it will be used.

Further, it says there should be strong enforcement mechanisms, including tribunal access and financial penalties for employers that breach their duties.

A number of employers already use some form of tracking to understand how employees are undertaking tasks or whether they are in the office. PwC, for example, tracks hybrid working arrangements to ensure employees spend the required time on site.

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Fintech firm Revolut recently admitted it used a tracking tool called Karma to monitor staff behaviour to see how well they met risk and compliance rules.

The Employment Rights Bill does not include any new legislation on workplace surveillance, but the government has committed to a consultation on this topic, including how unions and staff should be involved in decisions to deploy such technologies.

Joseph Evans, IPPR researcher and co-author of the report, said: “Workplace surveillance has expanded rapidly in recent years, but the law hasn’t kept up.

“Black workers are more likely to be in jobs where there’s a higher risk of intrusive surveillance. Without urgent reform, new technologies may deepen the inequalities already baked into the labour market.

“We need new rights that ensure all workers – especially those most at risk – have a say over how they’re monitored and managed.”

He added that pledges to introduce negotiation rights were welcome, but called for this to be enshrined into legislation “as soon as possible”.

“People urgently need a real voice over how they’re monitored and managed at work,” he added.

 

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