Inquiry into workplace surveillance

On May 14 2024, the Legislative Assembly agreed to the following motion:

That this House refers an inquiry into the extent to which surveillance data is being collected, shared, stored, disclosed, sold, disposed of and otherwise utilised in Victorian workplaces to the Economy and Infrastructure Standing Committee for consideration and report no later than 31 March 2025 including, but not limited to, an examination of:

(1) The effectiveness of current privacy and workplace laws when it comes to employee workplace surveillance;

(2) The current practices of employers disclosing the use of workplace surveillance to employees and others;

(3) The manner in which surveillance data is collected, shared, stored, disclosed and disposed of or sold, including but not limited to covert, overt, remote, digital and analogue methods;

(4) The ownership of workplace surveillance data;

(5) The protection of the privacy, autonomy and dignity of workers and other individuals, and the potential for privacy and data security risks to individuals, workers, businesses, communities and Victoria;

(6) The personal impact of workplace surveillance on Victorian workers, such as on their physical and mental safety;

(7) The impact of workplace surveillance on workplace relations and the balance of power between employers and workers;

(8) The impact of workplace surveillance on the balance of power in the workplace and the effect on workers’ rights;

(9) International or domestic examples of best practice workplace surveillance regulation and privacy protection;

(10) The potential consequences of unregulated surveillance on workers and their families;

(11) Australia’s obligations under international law, including International Labour Organization Conventions;

(12) The interaction between State and Commonwealth laws, and the jurisdictional limits imposed on the Victorian Parliament; and

(13) Any other related matters.

On 4 February 2025, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion extending the reporting date for the Inquiry to 30 April 2025.