Digital surveillance tests trust in the workplace

As employers expand digital monitoring, workplace surveillance is raising questions about productivity, privacy and trust. Jean-Nicolas Reyt, associate professor of organizational behaviour at McGill University, warns that tracking screen time, keystrokes or facial expressions can encourage employees to game the system instead of improving performance.

Activity metrics may also misrepresent productive work, particularly when employees are penalized for behaviour unrelated to their actual output. Reyt says increased monitoring creates a trade-off between measurement and trust, potentially undermining morale and prompting employees to leave. While surveillance may support safety in certain roles, organizations should use it transparently and avoid treating activity as a substitute for results.