Concerns Over “Workplace Surveillance” Persist Even After Work Electronic Monitoring Encroaches on Workers’ Daily Lives … Workplace Gapjil 119 Calls for Regulation Under the Labor Standards Act
Workers subjected to electronic monitoring through CCTV cameras, smartphone applications, and similar technologies are experiencing psychological stress not only while at work but even after leaving the workplace. Three out of ten workers said that they continued to worry about workplace surveillance after work, while many also reported feelings of anxiety and depression caused by such monitoring.
Workplace Gapjil 119 announced on August 30 the results of its survey on “Electronic Workplace Monitoring and Mental Health.” The survey was conducted by Global Research, a professional polling agency, from June 1 to June 7 among 1,000 employees.
According to the survey, when companies used CCTV cameras, smartphone applications, monitoring software, social media, or other technologies to track or manage employees’ locations, work activities, and behavior, 42.8% of respondents said they “felt pressure from being constantly monitored.” The same percentage, 42.8%, said that such monitoring “increased their stress or fatigue.”
Other responses included: “My motivation for or satisfaction with work decreased” (35.1%); “I continued to worry about work or surveillance even after leaving work” (31.7%); “I experienced anxiety or depression” (29.4%); “I feared that monitoring could be used for harassment or unjustified control” (29.1%); and “I experienced mental exhaustion or burnout” (25.8%).
Workplace Gapjil 119 stated, “These findings demonstrate that the burden caused by workplace surveillance does not remain confined to working hours, but extends into and encroaches upon workers’ daily lives.” The organization further emphasized, “Electronic monitoring in the workplace should not be regulated solely under the Personal Information Protection Act. Given the particular characteristics of the employment relationship, such monitoring should also be regulated under the Labor Standards Act, which serves as the fundamental law governing the workplace.”
By Kim Hak-tae Published: August 31, 2026, 6:30 a.m. tae@labortoday.co.kr
Source: Maeil Labor News (Labor Today)
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