Workplace Freakonomics
I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society, vol. 14, 2017
25 Pages Posted: 6 Oct 2020 Last revised: 9 Oct 2020
Date Written: 2017
Abstract
Data analytics has revolutionized our economy, and employment is no exception. Sometimes called people analytics or HR analytics, the study of worker behavior and activity now includes the collection of massive amounts of data that is then crunched by algorithms looking for both expected and unexpected patterns. This work is akin to the "freakonomics" approach, which asks unusual questions and is prepared to find answers that may upset conventional wisdom. This paper explores the possibility of a "workplace freakonomics" approach to using big data in the workplace, and considers the legal and ethical ramifications for wide-ranging explorations of employee data.
Keywords: information privacy, employee privacy, freakonomics
JEL Classification: K31
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation