Power, Stress, and Uncertainty
Experiences with and Attitudes toward Workplace Surveillance During a Pandemic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12729367 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jessica Vitak (0000-0001-9362-9032, University of Maryland, College Park, corresponding author), Michael Zimmer (0000-0003-4229-4847, Marquette University) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 29-44 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Surveillance & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1477-7487 • E-ISSN: 1477-7487 |
| Publisher | Surveillance Studies Network (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.24908/ss.v21i1.15571 |
| OpenAlex | W4327733103 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 11 |
There is a rich literature on technology’s role in facilitating employee monitoring in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for employers, and many companies turned to new forms of monitoring to ensure remote workers remained productive; however, these technologies raise important privacy concerns as the boundaries between work and home are further blurred. In this paper, we present findings from a study of 645 US workers who spent at least part of 2020 working remotely due to the pandemic. We explore how their work experiences (job satisfaction, stress, and security) changed between January and November 2020, as well as their attitudes toward and concerns about being monitored. Findings support anecdotal evidence that the pandemic has had an uneven effect on workers, with women reporting more negative effects on their work experiences. In addition, while nearly 40% of workers reported their employer began using new surveillance tools during the pandemic, a significant percentage were unsure, suggesting there is confusion or a lack of transparency regarding how new policies are communicated to staff. We consider these findings in light of prior research and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of various approaches to minimize surveillance-related worker harms
Business · Confusion · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Job satisfaction · Job security · Pandemic · Political science · Power (physics · Public relations · Transparency (behavior · Work (physics · COVID-19 and Mental Health · COVID-19 Digital Contact Tracing · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Engineering · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology
Covid-19 and Remote Work
Connecting to Work
Dark Matters
Workplace surveillance, privacy and distributive justice
Six Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home in Europe during Covid-19
Workplace Surveillance ‘is’ Unethical and Unfair
Teleworking
The Contexts of Control
Workplace surveillance
Big Data in the workplace
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |