Screenshots to monitor home workers, facial analysis in video job applications and automatic workload advice. In a new report, the Rathenau Institute warns against further monitoring in the workplace. The study, "Work at Value - Limits to Digital Monitoring in the Workplace Through Data, Algorithms and AI," asks employers, workers and the government to engage in a dialogue to set limits on digital tools.
At the request of the Social Affairs and Employment Committee of the House of Representatives, the Rathenau Institute investigated the influence of digitization on the quality of work. These include online job applications, tracking productivity and measuring workload or engagement. These examples are already currently being used in the Netherlands. The survey was conducted from June 2019 to March 2020. The research is part of the "Changing Labor Market" theme of the Knowledge Agenda of the SZW Committee, which with this report can further expand the common knowledge on the said theme.
The research shows that in principle most digital tools have a noble purpose. They want to support decisions and improve the quality of work. But in the meantime, the Rathenau Institute's overview shows, the tools change labor relations and can lead to a limited view of what constitutes valuable work.
Digital tools, according to the Rathenau Institute, by definition overlook the immeasurable, such as the value of social contact between colleagues. The report further shows that the tools can touch on the privacy of workers, can lead to discrimination in recruitment and selection processes and can contribute to an increasing workload.
Moreover, it appears that several digitization tools are not scientifically based. For example, video applications sometimes use the unproven link between facial expression and emotion and personality. And even with validated tools, an organization must embed them properly, take measures against misuse and learn to value them. Otherwise, discrimination against groups, exclusion and disruption of relationships among colleagues lurk.
Melanie Peters, director of the Rathenau Institute says of the research, "Human work is more than what you can measure. It is now about the right to be human at work. Digital tools are there to support us in our work and should not turn workers into robots. That is not good for workers or for employers."
The Rathenau Institute stimulates public and political opinion formation on the social aspects of science and technology. It conducts research and organizes debate on science, innovation and new technologies. With its research on digital monitoring technology, the institute aims to put the quality of work on the agenda and draw attention to public values and rights in digitalization.
The full report can be found on the Rathenau Institute's website.
This news item can also be found in the Privacy in the Workplace file
