Digital surveillance at work deepens power imbalances, harms wellbeing, and stalls collective productivity gains
Original framing: “Tracking your employees doesn’t make them more productive” — The Conversation - Global
Meta‑analyses of 30+ studies demonstrate that electronic monitoring correlates with higher cortisol levels, reduced job satisfaction, and no measurable productivity lift. Robust experimental designs isolate the causal pathway from surveillance to stress‑induced performance decline.
Employee monitoring is not a neutral productivity hack but a continuation of historic labor control mechanisms amplified by digital capitalism.
It reproduces power asymmetries, marginalises vulnerable workers, and ignores Indigenous relational ethics that could reshape performance evaluation. Cross‑cultural evidence shows that robust institutional checks, such as co‑determination boards, mitigate harms, while unchecked surveillance drives stress, turnover, and inequality. Future modelling underscores that without systemic regulation, the hidden costs will outweigh any short‑term gains, whereas collaborative, culturally informed designs promise sustainable productivity. Therefore, a multi‑layered response—legal, organizational, and ethical—anchored in historical awareness and inclusive voices is essential to re‑humanise work.