Do monitored workplaces with algorithms make you sick?

Do monitored workplaces with algorithms make you sick?

London, Nov. 18, 2021

Workplaces that monitor workers and set performance targets through algorithms should be controlled, according to a group of British MPs and their colleagues. In a new report, the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of Work (APPG) argues that such technologies, which monitor and set targets for delivery drivers and checkout workers, have a profound negative impact on their mental and physical well-being.

To address this, the APPG recommends an Accountability for Algorithms Act, which would legally require employers to assess the impact of AI on their employees. Both companies and public sector employers would be required to complete impact assessments of algorithms. It would give employees the right to be involved in the design and use of algorithmic systems.

The report proposes updating digital protections so that workers have a right to a comprehensive explanation about algorithms. The APPG also recommends a new right for unions to be consulted on „risky“ AI tools.