To watch or be watched: surveillance in the workplace

From strictly enforced social media policies, to restrictive firewalls, some employers more than others feel a need to keep an eye on their staff. However, employees also use social media to voice their opinions and create online forums to express concerns about organisational practices. Through interviews with HR managers, frontline managers and employees across several organisations, this article examines this emerging trend in depth.

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Reviewed by

Jake Young, Research Associate, CIPD

Jake joined the CIPD in 2018, having completed a master’s degree in Social Science Research Methods at the University of Nottingham. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Criminology and Sociology.

Jake’s research interests concern aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion, such as inequality, gender and identity in the workplace. Jake is currently involved in the creation of a research project examining the effectiveness of organisational recruitment programmes and their relationship with workplace performance.

Jake leads research on the CIPD Good Work Index programme of work, exploring the key dimensions of job quality in the UK. Jake has also written several CIPD evidence reviews on a variety of organisational topics, including employee engagement, employee resilience and digital work and wellbeing.

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