UK government could force bosses to consult employees before rolling out worker surveillance tools

https://www.techradar.com/author/christian-cawley· Aug 7, 2026 · 6:00 AM UTC ·9 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 3 views

#employment #privacy #technology #government

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The UK Department for Business and Trade is consulting on workplace monitoring technologies to determine if current rules are sufficient. The consultation, which runs until 30 September 2026, may lead to a formal code of practice or new legal framework requiring employers to consult employees before deploying surveillance tools. It covers technologies such as biometric scanning, keystroke logging, GPS tracking and AI‑assisted monitoring.

Key facts

▪The government’s Make Work Pay strategy has opened a consultation on the use of workplace monitoring tools, including biometric surveillance and productivity scoring.
▪The review will assess whether existing non‑statutory guidance, a formal code of practice, or a new legal framework is needed.
▪Employers could be required to seek employee consent before implementing tools like keystroke loggers, screen monitoring, and AI‑driven algorithmic management.
▪The consultation period ends on 30 September 2026, and responses are expected to address concerns about remote‑work surveillance and privacy.

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TechRadar · https://www.techradar.com/author/christian-cawley

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Original publisher	TechRadar
Canonical URL	https://www.techradar.com/pro/uk-government-could-force-bosses-to-consult-employees-before-rolling-out-worker-surveillance-tools
Publication time	Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-08-07T06:00:47.523Z
Last seen	2026-08-07T06:00:47.523Z
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Excerpt method	First ~120 words (~800 chars) of extracted publisher body, fair-use limited.
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Indexing	May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)?	Allowed
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

Pro UK government could force bosses to consult employees before rolling out worker surveillance tools News By Christian Cawley Published 7 August 2026 Hurry, the boss is watching When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock / Krakenimages.com) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ministers in the UK are consulting on workplace monitoring technologiesEmployers may have to ask permission to implement surveillance tools that ensure employees are working as contractedThe consultation includes references to the use of artificial…

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