HR & Employment Law Update
The UK Government is currently consulting on proposed measures concerning the use of workplace monitoring technologies, signalling increased attention to how employers collect, analyse and use information about their employees.
The consultation, launched on 8 July 2026 as part of the Government's wider Make Work Pay agenda, is open until 30 September 2026.
What is workplace monitoring?
Workplace monitoring can take many forms. It may include:
- tracking an employee's location;
- biometric access or identification systems;
- monitoring digital activity;
- monitoring communications or computer usage;
- automated systems used to evaluate employee performance.
For employers, these technologies can provide useful information and support productivity, security and business operations. However, they can also raise concerns around privacy, transparency, employee autonomy and potential discrimination.
Why is this important for HR?
The issue is particularly relevant to HR because employee monitoring sits at the intersection of technology, data protection, employment rights and workplace culture.
Introducing monitoring technology is not simply an IT decision. Employers should consider how the technology affects employees and whether workers understand:
- what information is being collected;
- why it is being collected;
- how it will be used;
- who will have access to it; and
- how long the information will be retained.
HR teams may therefore need to work closely with management, legal teams and IT departments when introducing or reviewing monitoring systems.
A balancing act for employers
Monitoring can have legitimate business purposes. For example, organisations may use technology to protect confidential information, improve workplace safety or manage operational processes.
However, excessive or opaque monitoring can potentially undermine employee trust.
This creates an important challenge for HR: how can organisations use technology to support productivity without creating a workplace where employees feel constantly watched?
The Government's consultation specifically recognises the need to balance the potential benefits of workplace monitoring with workers' rights and protections.
What should employers do now?
While the consultation is ongoing, HR teams may want to review their existing monitoring practices and ask:
- What employee monitoring technologies are currently being used?
- Is each form of monitoring necessary and proportionate?
- Are employees clearly informed about how monitoring works?
- Who has access to the information collected?
- Are automated systems being used to make decisions about employee performance?
- Could monitoring practices create privacy, discrimination or employee-relations risks?
Organisations introducing new monitoring technologies should also consider whether their existing HR policies and employee communications remain appropriate.
Looking ahead
The consultation represents another step in the UK's evolving approach to the relationship between technology and employment rights.
For HR professionals, the key lesson is that workplace technology should not be considered in isolation. As employers increasingly use digital tools to manage their workforce, HR will have an important role in ensuring that technological innovation remains compatible with fairness, transparency and employee trust.
The consultation is open until 30 September 2026, giving employers and other stakeholders an opportunity to contribute to the development of the future framework.
This article provides general information on UK employment law developments and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Employers should seek independent legal advice where appropriate.
