315-471-0405
Architectural Columns

Tag Archives: #workplaceprivacy

AI In The Next Cubicle? What You Can Do About Your Robot Coworker

September 8th, 2025 by Sarah Ruhlen

Posted in Ask A Worker's Rights Attorney!, Confidential Information, Employment and Labor Attorney, Legal Consultation, New York, NY., Syracuse, Uncategorized, Union, Workplace Rights |

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Like it or not, AI is already in your workplace. Chatbots handle customer inquiries, algorithms analyze big data. It’s in the background of everything from manufacturing to high finance. What’s a worker to do? Here are some issues that you might already be facing, and some action steps to consider.

Issue 1:  Job Displacement and Automation

AI is causing significant job loss, especially in routine and manual jobs. The best way to fight this is through collective action – Unions have been through this before. If you’re concerned:

If you are not in a Union: Join up! Unionize! Organize! Learn about solidarity and use it to strengthen your mutual bond with your coworkers. Get in there and fight like hell for recognition!

If you are in a Union:

  1. Collectively demand the employer identify new and emerging job roles that displaced workers can move into. For example, roles related to AI management, human-AI collaboration, and digital strategy may become increasingly important.

  2. Collectively demand the employer provide courses or workshops that focus on industry trends and emerging technologies that could impact your job. Demand the employer provide training, or help pay for new certifications or degrees.

  3. Advocate for policies that prioritize workforce sustainability and fair labor practices in the deployment of AI technologies.

Issue 2:  Surveillance and Privacy Concerns

Employers use AI to monitor employee activities. While workplace privacy protections have never been particularly robust, AI’s ability to snoop surpasses even that of Whatshisface in Accounting. If you’re concerned:

  1. Familiarize yourself with your employer’s policies on surveillance and data privacy.

  2. Don’t share personal information in workplace communications or on company devices. Avoid discussing personal matters that do not pertain to work.

  3. Use secure and encrypted communication platforms for any personal conversations. Avoid using company email or chat systems for personal matters.

  4. When possible, avoid using personal devices for work purposes. If you must use a personal device, be aware that some companies monitor usage – even on your personal phone.

  5. Talk to a lawyer! Familiarize yourself with local laws regarding workplace surveillance and data privacy. Many jurisdictions have regulations that limit the extent of employer surveillance.

If you’re in a Union:

  1. Discuss concerns regarding surveillance with coworkers. Raise awareness about privacy issues.

  2. Collectively demand information on how AI tools and surveillance technologies are being used in the workplace (e.g., cameras, tracking software). Support collective bargaining for better privacy provisions in workplace contracts.

  3. Collectively demand training on privacy settings available on the employer’s platforms and applications. Configure these settings to enhance your privacy where possible. Demand training on privacy, data security, and responsible use of AI, particularly how to protect your data.

Issue 3: Bias and Discrimination

AI systems perpetuate biases present in training data. This can result in discriminatory hiring practices, performance evaluations, or disciplinary actions, which violate anti-discrimination laws. The lack of transparency around AI decision-making processes makes it even harder to prove discrimination. If you’re concerned:

  1. Know your rights! Familiarize yourself with labor laws and regulations that protect against workplace discrimination. To be able to fight discrimination, you need to be able to identify what it is and what it is not, with or without an AI component.

  2. Keep detailed records of all discriminatory behavior or decisions. This is a good idea even if the conduct is not the product of AI.

  3. Talk to a lawyer! If you face discrimination, consult an attorney who specializes in labor law and discrimination cases in your jurisdiction. They can guide you on how to proceed with complaints and claims.

If you are in a Union:

  1. Collaborate with coworkers to address concerns regarding AI discrimination collectively.

  2. Push for transparency in the AI systems used by employers. Request information on how decisions are made and the data used to train algorithms.

  3. If you suspect that an AI system is biased, advocate for review and adjustment.

Issue 3: Impossible Algorithms

AI and management have a tendency to make equally lousy decisions about workload, performance assessments, and promotions. Not only do these decisions lead to burn-out, they can undermine worker safety. If you’re concerned:

  1. Keep detailed records of how AI influences your work, including the criteria used for performance assessments and any implications on workload, including safety. This documentation can serve as evidence in case of disputes or grievances.

  2. Talk to a lawyer! Particularly if the algorithm appears to have a discriminatory bias and/or results in unsafe working conditions, speak with an attorney who specializes in workplace law in your jurisdiction.

  3. Familiarize yourself with your state’s labor laws and regulations. Don’t just look at anti-discrimination and wage and hour laws; specific industries may have regulatory requirements on safe hours of work and workloads. If you’re not sure, talk to a lawyer.

  4. If your lawyer thinks it’s a good idea, report the issues to relevant authorities, such as labor boards, health and safety agencies, or civil rights organizations, to seek investigation and resolution.

  5. Monitor developments in laws and regulations surrounding AI and labor rights. If you’re not sure, talk to a lawyer.

If you’re in a Union:

  1. Collectively demand clear explanations about the AI systems in use, including how they operate, what data is being collected, and the algorithms applied. Understanding these elements can help ensure that processes are perceived as fair and justifiable.

  2. Collectively advocate for development of clear organizational policies regarding AI use. These policies should address transparency, ethical considerations, safety, and the potential impacts on employment practices, including hiring and promotions.

  3. Engage in regular labor-management discussions about the use of AI tools in decision-making processes. Express your concerns about how these technologies affect safety, workloads, and evaluations. Back up those concerns with your documentation.

A final thought:

Any tool that management uses, workers can use too. Make no mistake, AI is being used to undermine workers’ rights. But workers aren’t powerless. Whether you’re a lone brave voice or working in solidarity with your Union family, you have some options. You may even be able to leverage AI to help protect your rights. (Make it analyze your paystubs and identify discrepancies! Use it to detect systemic discrimination! Get it to gather social media commentary on issues that your coworkers are fed up with, and then organize them to fight those issues!) And talk to a lawyer when you run into something that requires action.

 

Know Your Rights: A Guide to Workplace Privacy for Employees

October 15th, 2024 by Sarah Ruhlen

Posted in Ask A Worker's Rights Attorney!, Employment and Labor Attorney, New York, Syracuse, Workplace Rights |

Tags: , , , , , ,

 

The workplace is not a private place, but people may bring their private information to work, sometimes without even realizing it. The rules on what an employee can expect to keep private – and what does not stay private – may not be what you expect. Here are three key takeaways to empower you to protect your privacy while on the job.

  1. The Bad News

Employees have no reasonable expectation of privacy in most areas of the workplace, so don’t expect the boss to respect your personal privacy. Employers generally have the right to monitor work-related activities. Additionally, there is no obligation to respect employee privacy on the job site with respect to personal phone calls, emails sent from personal accounts, and personal belongings—even in personal lockers or during break times or in the break room.

In the State of New York, section 52-c of the New York Civil Rights Act requires employers to provide written notice if they intend to e-monitor their employees, but the requirement is pretty weak. There is no prohibition on spying, just a requirement that the employer let workers know if it intends to spy. Additionally, there’s no private remedy if the employer does spy without notifying. Other jurisdictions may have similar rules, so speak with a workers’ rights attorney in your area to find out if there’s any protection against e-spying in your jurisdiction.

Be cautious about the type of personal information you share at work. Avoid sharing sensitive personal details, even with your work friends, during work hours.

  1. Medical Information

If you talk about your medical condition with your coworkers, the employer has no duty to keep that information confidential. If you don’t want people talking about it, don’t tell them.

Outside of a request for an accommodation, there is no duty for an employer to avoid disclosing medical information that an employee has volunteered. If you do request an accommodation or medical leave, don’t reveal what you need the accommodation for until that information is requested. Remember – if you volunteer it without being asked, the employer does not have to keep it private. The only information the employer has to keep private is medical information that it specifically requests from you.

Usually, once an employee requests an accommodation or medical leave, the employer will provide a request form with sections for the employee and the employee’s medical provider to fill out.  It’s not a bad idea to mark the forms “CONFIDENTIAL” at the top. That goes for any medical information you provide to the employer as well. Try to make sure that any medical information is directed only to the person whose job it is to handle the accommodation request – usually this is a human resources employee.

Word to the wise, the medical information needed to handle an accommodation request can, and will, be disclosed to anyone the employer believes needs to have it for purposes of implementing the accommodation. So even though you might not want your direct supervisor to know about your personal medical needs, that person may be looped in when it comes to determining how to accommodate your condition.

Bottom line, don’t talk about medical information unless you need to request an accommodation. And then, be very sparing about what you tell and whom you tell it to.

  1. Anti-Union Surveillance

One area that is often litigated is whether surveillance is “coercive,” thereby crossing the line into a violation of the National Labor Relations Act [“NLRA”]. Under the NLRA, employees have the right to engage in concerted activity for purposes of mutual aid and protection. If surveillance—for example, cameras in the breakroom, or supervisors butting in to an employee-owned Slack group—could reasonably be construed as intimidating employees so they will not discuss terms and conditions of employment, then the surveillance may constitute an Unfair Labor Practice [“ULP”] under the NLRA. So, if it seems like the employer is trying to stop employees from, say, discussing wages or talking to Union reps, then the action may constitute illegal surveillance and should be reported to the National Labor Relations Board [“NLRB”]. This tends to be a very fact-specific inquiry, so if you’re not sure whether the spying constitutes illegal surveillance, it’s a good idea to talk to a Union representative or workplace attorney.

Conclusion: 

Generally speaking, don’t reveal anything in the workplace that you wouldn’t tell a newspaper reporter. But there are minimal privacy protections in specific workplace contexts. Always talk to a workplace attorney if you need to understand the parameters of your workplace privacy.

Can the boss require you to be screened?

September 26th, 2022 by Sarah Ruhlen

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments

Tags: , , ,

@workplacelawyer Can the boss require you to be screened? #syracuseworkersrights #workplacelawyer #workplaceprivacy ♬ original sound – WorkplaceLawyer

New York Law Restricts Employer E-Spying

March 14th, 2022 by Sarah Ruhlen

Posted in Workplace Rights |

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

surveillance camera

New York State recently passed a law requiring employers to give notice to employees if they monitor employees’ telephone, email, and internet activity.

 

Section 52-c of the New York Civil Rights Act requires employers to provide written notice of e-monitoring individually to new employees.  If the employee doesn’t sign an acknowledgement of the notice, the notice is invalid.  Further, the notice must inform the employee of monitoring of telephone, email, internet, or use of any electronic device (including computer, telephone, wire, radio or fax). Notice must also be posted in a conspicuous spot in the workplace.

 

The employer does not have to inform employees about computer system maintenance and protection such as spam filters and volume controls.

 

Realistically speaking, this means an extra form for New York employees to sign during the hiring process.  If a new hire refuses to sign, in all probability the employer could refuse to keep the person on the job.  Additionally, there is no private right of action, meaning employees can’t individually sue employers for violations of this law.  But employees can report employers to the New York State Attorney General, who can impose monetary penalties. Repeat offenders will be assessed increasingly stiff penalties.

 

The law goes into effect on May 7, 2022.  If you are concerned about how your employer is monitoring you, it’s not a bad idea to call the attorney general or speak with a workers’ rights attorney in your jurisdiction.

217 S. Salina St., 6th Fl.,
Syracuse, NY 13202

T: 315-471-0405
F: 315-471-7849

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This site is published for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  This site neither creates nor implies an attorney-client relationship.

Find us on Mastodon: @WorkplaceLawyer@union.place