Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Employee Experiences of Technological Surveillance in the Financial Services Sector: Discussion

Mr. Brian McDowell:

On a connected point, the Workplace Relations Commission has a consultation out on remote working and flexible working. Obviously, remote working comes into this. It is enshrined in the right to disconnect that we spoke about before. They are all intertwined because when someone who is physically in their workplace and in front of their computer or on their phone gets a message to inform them that they are being monitored, it is a little different from when the same thing happens to someone who is sitting at home in their bedroom if they live in a one-bedroom apartment, or in their box room. These matters are all intertwined. There is a consultation process out now on flexible and remote working. Perhaps the question of surveillance of someone's computer or phone, in particular when working from home, should be part of that code and be included in that code. It would be worthwhile to explore that.