The Impact of Surveillance in the Workplace
The coronavirus pandemic has initiated a significant rise in workplace surveillance that shows no signs of receding even after the crisis. Businesses are increasingly tracking their remote employees, often under the guise of security or productivity enhancement. In logistics, such as Amazon and UPS, surveillance tools are integrated into their operations, allowing employers to monitor workers extensively through easily accessible data like phone calls, texts, emails, and GPS locations.
Historical Context of Worker Surveillance
These intensive monitoring practices stem from a long-standing mistrust of workers, rooted deeply in a history that can be traced back to slavery and early exploitative management practices. Previously, employers relied on labor-intense methods, such as hiring detectives, to keep tabs on workers. Today, technological improvements have significantly reduced surveillance costs, with modern monitoring often justified as necessary for enhancing productivity or employee safety.
The Trucking Industry’s Surveillance Practices
Nowhere is this trend more evident than in the trucking industry, which is considered an essential part of the U.S. economy. In her book, *Data Driven: Truckers, Technology, and the New Workplace Surveillance*, Karen Levy illustrates how truck drivers, who once enjoyed a sense of autonomy in their roles, are becoming increasingly monitored. New federal requirements mandate the installation of digital tracking devices in trucks to record driver movements, allowing employers and third parties to implement extensive oversight.
Challenges Truck Drivers Face
The current state of trucking is marked by a lack of fair compensation; average wages have drastically dropped from roughly $110,000 in the 1980s to about $47,000 today. Many truckers work unpaid hours and are compensated primarily by miles driven, which does not account for various essential work-related activities. Despite claims of a “labor shortage,” truckers point to the real issue: inadequate wages for their often dangerous yet crucial responsibilities.
Surveillance and Worker Dignity
Truck drivers are under constant surveillance through Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) that track their behavior and movements and even measure how closely they monitor their surroundings. This level of monitoring perpetuates a culture of distrust and neglects the core issue of fair compensation. Many truckers feel that the devices signal a lack of faith in their capabilities, undermining their established autonomy and pride in their work.
The Role of Policy in Surveillance Practices
The government’s preference for digital monitoring solutions, rather than restructuring pay practices, stems from a lack of political willpower to initiate deeper reforms. This reliance on technology to address the issues of overwork and fatigue in the trucking industry fails to confront the root causes of these problems, thus maintaining existing power dynamics in favor of management over workers.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Work
Levy argues that the conversation around the “future of work” should focus not just on job availability but also on the quality of those jobs and the dignity they confer upon workers. The experience of truck drivers illustrates the critical need to consider the implications of surveillance and how it affects worker pride and autonomy, ensuring that any discussions about technological advancements in the workplace take into account both job quantity and quality.
