Employee monitoring and surveillance: The challenges of digitalisation
Published: 9 December 2020
New digital technologies have expanded the possibilities of employee monitoring and surveillance, both in and outside the workplace. In the context of the increasing digitalisation of work, there are many issues related to employee monitoring that warrant the attention of policymakers. As well as the often-cited privacy and ethical concerns, there are also important implications for worker–employer relations, as digitally enabled monitoring and surveillance inevitably shift power dynamics in the workplace. Based on input from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, this report explores the regulatory approaches to workplace monitoring in Europe, and the many challenges arising from the use of new digital technologies. Drawing from empirical and qualitative research, the report also provides some insight into the extent of employee monitoring in Europe and the implications for job quality and work organisation.
Technological change has opened the door to more intrusive employee monitoring and surveillance. Regulatory provisions in EU Member States are often out of step with technological developments. National regulatory frameworks must become future-proofed and respond to the challenges of new digital technologies.
National data protection authorities have an important role to play in enforcing existing rules and implementation of the GDPR in national legislation has, in some cases, expanded their scope of activities.
At European level and in several Member States, trade unions have been vocal in raising concerns about the potential infringement of workers’ fundamental rights due to the use of advanced technologies in the workplace.
The use of electronic monitoring can potentially limit work autonomy and diminish employees’ well-being and trust in management, as well as creating possibilities for infringements of workers’ privacy. The use of monitoring technologies may also include game-like dynamics, with additional pressures on workers to meet performance targets.
Companies using data analytics to monitor employee performance have better performance outcomes than companies not using such tools – but there is a small, negative association between the use of data analytics to monitor employee performance and workplace well-being.
This section provides information on the data contained in this publication.
List of tables
Table 1: Definitions of technologies used for employee monitoring and surveillance
Table 2: Relevant national legislation addressing employee monitoring and surveillance
Table 3: Prevalence of monitoring and surveillance systems reported by employers (%), Norway, 2016
Table 4: Prevalence of monitoring and surveillance systems reported by employees (%), Norway, 2019
Table 5: Proportion of employees agreeing with statements about monitoring measures in the workplace, Norway, 2019 (%)
List of figures
Figure 1: Use of data analytics for process improvement and/or monitoring employee performance, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 2: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance by broad sector, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 3: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance by company size, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 4: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance by employee representation and influence over work process change, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 5: Techniques and devices for employee monitoring and surveillance
Figure 6: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance by different work organisation modalities, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 7: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance by the proportion of workplaces with high-performance workplace characteristics, EU27 and the UK (%)
Figure 8: Use of data analytics to monitor employee performance and workplace outcomes, EU27 and the UK (%)
Learn more about the author of this publication.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2020), Employee monitoring and surveillance: The challenges of digitalisation, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
ISBN
978-92-897-2123-3
Number of pages
56
Reference no.
EF20008
ISBN
978-92-897-2123-3
Catalogue number
TJ-01-20-638-EN-N
DOI
10.2806/424580
Permalink
http://eurofound.link/ef20008
