The Biden Administration has announced intentions to look into the use of technology in worker monitoring and management.
Employees were encouraged to comment on their experiences with surveillance technologies in a blog post by the White House Office of Science and technologies Policy (OSTP), while employers and software providers were urged to outline how they create and utilize such tools.
The blogpost admits that such technology may help both employees and employers, but it also mentions the “serious risks” they might pose to employees. Concerns include the possible breach of worker privacy, the impediment of union operations, and the facilitation of discrimination.
Amazon and other corporations have made significant investments in monitoring and tracking solutions, particularly in the haulage, healthcare, and fast-food industries. While such technologies can boost productivity, the constant monitoring of performance can cause workers to rush, endangering their own and others’ safety and mental health. Monitoring discussions can also make it impossible for workers to organize and negotiate collectively, while other tracking techniques may result in compensation, promotion, and punishment discrimination.
The White House is seeking answers from a variety of sources, including employees, employers, and technology innovators, in order to collect relevant data and research to drive future policy responses.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.