"While these technologies can benefit both workers and employers in some cases, they can also create serious risks to workers,” deputies from the White House Domestic Policy Council and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote in a blog post slated for publication later Monday, announcing a formal request for information from the public about how automated tools are being deployed in the workplace.
Lawmakers and advocates around the country have been turning increasing attention to how companies use tech to control their workforces. Last week, the Minnesota state house passed a bill that would require companies such as Amazon.com Inc to provide warehouse workers with copies of data they collected on their pace of work. California and New York have passed similar legislation regulating warehouse productivity quotas in the past couple of years.
The request seeks input from workers, employers, developers, researchers and advocacy groups regarding the uses and effects of workplace surveillance tech, including"economic, safety, physical, mental and emotional impacts.” The administration also wants to know what regulations, enforcement activity or other strategies the government should explore to address them.