Workers need protection from ‘spying bosses,’ two lawmakers say

Washington — A pair of House Democrats have introduced legislation that would “prohibit, or require disclosure of, the surveillance, monitoring and collection of certain worker data by employers.”

Sponsored by Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), the Stop Spying Bosses Act is intended to “empower and protect workers from the use of exploitative surveillance technologies,” which continue to expand, a press release states.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Require employers who collect data on workers or applicants to disclose such information in a timely and public manner.
• Prohibit employers from collecting sensitive data (off-duty data collection, data collection that interferes with organizing, etc.) on workers.
• Create rules regarding the use of automated decision systems to empower workers in employment decisions.
• Establish within the Department of Labor a Privacy and Technology Division to enforce and regulate workplace surveillance.

“It’s time to protect employees from the use of invasive surveillance technologies that allow bosses to track their workers minute by minute and move by move,” Deluzio said in the release. “Workers deserve far better than a workday full of endless suspicion and surveillance; they should have a workplace with respect and dignity.”

Multiple worker and advocacy groups support the bill, including the AFL-CIO, Economic Policy Institute, National Employment Law Project, and Communications Workers of America.

The bill is under consideration by the House Education and the Workforce Committee, as well as the committees on Oversight and Accountability, and House Administration.

Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced corresponding legislation (S. 262) in the Senate in February 2023.