The UK government has opened a consultation on workplace monitoring technologies, responding to a surge in employers surveilling staff that has seen one in three organisations now tracking digital activity, according to a 2025 survey of UK managers. The figure has risen sharply from one in five in 2023, driven largely by the shift to homeworking during the pandemic.
The consultation, launched on 8 July 2026 and running until 30 September 2026, is part of the wider Make Work Pay agenda and seeks views on whether additional regulation is needed to improve transparency, worker engagement and accountability when employers use surveillance tools, algorithmic management systems or AI-enabled decision-making. The government warned that while such technologies can boost productivity, they also risk eroding trust if deployed without proper safeguards.
“UK government consults on regulating workplace monitoring as 1 in 3 firms track digital activity”
Evidence submitted to the consultation shows that the use of workplace monitoring technologies has increased in recent years, with the pandemic-era homeworking boom accelerating adoption. The government now faces a choice: allow the trend to continue unchecked, or intervene with new rules that could reshape how millions of employees are watched at work. The outcome of the consultation will determine which path the UK takes.