The Changing Nature of Work: 30 signals to consider for a sustainable future

SIGNAL 5. Trust issues and anxiety about work security caused by remote monitoring  

Telecommuting exploded during the pandemic; millions of people started doing their jobs from home and many companies realized that they could be fully operational with this mode of working. The landscape of possibilities has changed.

This upheaval was accompanied by a spike in the use of surveillance software that allows employers to track what their employees are doing and how long they spend doing it. Many companies have installed a range of tools on remote workers’ computers. These software tools track keyboard strokes, mouse movements, emails, Slack, Zoom calls and browser history. Some can also take a picture via webcam every few minutes to check that employees are at their computer. Some of these software packages give workers a “productivity score” and are being advertised as “AI tools to increase productivity”, claiming that they can measure how quickly employees complete different tasks and suggest ways to improve their speed using machine learning (ML). These systems are usually installed without consulting employees or seeking their consent. This raises many ethical questions, such as whether surveillance undermines trust and damages employee morale. Critics are saying that this creates an environment where people do not feel trusted in doing their job, increasing anxiety, and that there are better ways for motivating people.

Some authors like Yuval Harari call this era a war between totalitarian surveillance and citizen empowerment. Governments and corporations can rely on ubiquitous sensors and powerful algorithms to track and monitor people. This continues a major battle that has been raging in recent years over personal privacy and the erosion of trust.

Check out the next signal, #6: A period of introspection and reflection

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The Changing Nature of Work: 30 signals to consider for a sustainable future

Work helps sustain livelihoods and largely determines the quality of life. Its changing nature is at the frontier of development. This report is the result of a broad horizon scanning by six UNDP Accelerator Labs across Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  They reveal 30 signals that shape the “where, who, how, and why” of the changing nature of work. From the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce to new work models and entrepreneurial ecosystems, the authors explore opportunities and threats, as well as solutions from local contexts that can be scaled up into positive answers to the challenges people around the world are facing.  Download the full report here.