Labor Laws and Surveillance in the Time of COVID-19: A Demand for Better Worker Protections

Abstract

Since March 2020, workplaces have been changing rapidly and permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the widespread introduction of remote work and the economic and social impact that the pandemic has had upon people, two trends have become apparent: COVID leave laws enacted to protect workers have been insufficient in actually protecting them, and the pandemic has brought about an increase in workplace surveillance. The first section of this paper will analyze the impact, or lack thereof, of COVID-19 sick and vaccine leave laws enacted across states during the pandemic upon the workforce. The second section of this paper will focus on the rise of workplace surveillance due to the rise of remote work during the pandemic, and the chilling effects of such surveillance. Finally, this paper will argue that the pandemic has resulted in detrimental workplace trends that will continue to severely affect future workplace environments and will give recommendations as to how to stop or curb these trends. 

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