ICO guidance stresses importance of reasoning in employee monitoring

The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) issued draft guidance to help ensure employers’ monitoring of staff performance does not turn into surveillance or harassment.

Spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic forcing companies to enable employees to work from home, employers have used a range of technological tools to keep tabs on worker output and well-being. These include monitoring internet access, using webcams, keystroke logging and time-tracking devices, and even carrying out secret audio recording.

While U.K. privacy legislation, namely the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act, does not prevent employers from monitoring employees, the ICO is concerned some companies are overstepping the mark.