Digital surveillance at work: Its impact on employee psychological wellbeing, trust, and organizational commitment

The proliferation of digital surveillance technologies in modern workplaces has fundamentally transformed the employee-employer dynamic, raising critical questions about the psychological and organizational consequences of such monitoring. Digital surveillance, encompassing tools such as email tracking, keystroke logging, video monitoring, and biometric systems, is often justified by organizations as a means to enhance productivity, ensure compliance, and protect sensitive information. However, emerging research indicates that these practices may have unintended adverse effects on employee psychological wellbeing, trust in management, and organizational commitment. Employees under constant or pervasive surveillance frequently report heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion, reflecting the “panoptic effect” wherein individuals modify behavior due to the perception of being continuously observed. Psychological strain resulting from monitoring is particularly pronounced when surveillance is covert, punitive, or implemented without employee involvement. Trust between employees and organizations is also impacted by surveillance practices. Organizational trust, defined as the belief that management acts with fairness, competence, and integrity, can be eroded when monitoring is perceived as intrusive or unjustified. Studies indicate that transparency, communication, and participatory approaches in designing surveillance systems can mitigate these negative effects and even foster perceptions of organizational fairness. Furthermore, employee commitment, encompassing affective, normative, and continuance dimensions, is sensitive to surveillance practices. Monitoring perceived as controlling or distrustful can diminish affective attachment and increase turnover intentions, whereas supportive and clearly communicated surveillance may maintain or enhance organizational commitment. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews, to explore the multifaceted impacts of digital surveillance on psychological wellbeing, trust, and commitment among employees in knowledge-intensive and remote work settings. The findings aim to provide nuanced insights into how surveillance policies affect employee outcomes and suggest practical strategies for ethical implementation. By integrating theoretical and empirical perspectives, this research contributes to the broader discourse on balancing organizational control with employee autonomy, emphasizing the importance of trust, transparency, and wellbeing in surveillance practices.