#141 The boss is watching - on the rise of workplace surveillance

This week we discuss the growing use of workplace surveillance technologies, triggered by a legal case involving an Australian compliance training company.

The case highlights the use of monitoring software that records an employee's screen activity and even their conversations detected by laptop microphones.

With employees increasingly working from home, the case speaks to broader implications for worker privacy and employee-employer trust relationships.

Links:

Article about Safetrac case (AFR) https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/company-turned-laptops-into-covert-recording-devices-to-monitor-wfh-20250822-p5mp0z

Article about the trend of workplace surveillance (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/27/remote-work-software-home-surveillance-computer-monitoring-pandemic

OAIC summary of workplace monitoring and surveillance laws https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/surveillance-and-monitoring/workplace-monitoring-and-surveillance

Vic Gov inquiry into workplace surveillance https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/49a1f1/contentassets/5232a88edcc34487aa0223bcbb2c8974/laeic-60-02-inquiry-into-workplace-surveillance2.pdf

Credits:

Editing and post-production by Martin Franklin (East Coast Studio) ⁠www.eastcoaststudio.com.au⁠

Music by Bensound.com