The Future Of Employee Well-Being In The Age Of Wearables And Unionization

Balancing innovation and privacy

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, the well-being of employees has become a focal point for organizations. As companies explore new ways to enhance employee health and productivity, the use of wearable technology has gained significant attention. Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, offer an innovative way to monitor employee wellness in real time. However, while these advancements promise improvements in employee health and performance, they also raise crucial concerns—particularly around privacy, compliance, and unionization. This article explores the potential of wearable technology to improve employee well-being alongside the challenges it presents, including the reactions from unions and privacy regulations in Canada.

The Role of Wearable Technology in Employee Wellness

Wearable devices have become more than just fitness tools—they are now seen as instruments that can contribute significantly to workplace wellness programs. Employers are using wearables to monitor various health metrics such as physical activity, sleep patterns, stress levels, and heart rates ^[1]. 

The development of wearable technology that detects a variety of metrics, biomarkers, and biosensors to assess stress has had a favourable influence on healthcare, among other sectors, as the research notes. ECG, EEG, EMG, PPG, and BT are among the many wearable device kinds that are widely used to measure a person's body and skin temperature, heart rate variability, and galvanic skin conductance ^[2]. 

Wearable Technology in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study

The hospitality industry, known for its high-stress and physically demanding work environments, has also started to explore the use of wearable devices to enhance employee wellness. A recent study in a hotel workplace found that employees who wore devices like Fitbit saw an increase in physical activity, healthier food choices, and a decrease in caloric intake over a 14-day period. More importantly, employees also reported improvements in job satisfaction, engagement, and commitment to the organization ^[3]. These findings suggest that wearables can have a positive impact not only on physical health but also on employee morale and retention. 

However, the study also pointed out the importance of maintaining data privacy and ensuring that such wellness initiatives are implemented in a way that fosters trust between employees and employers ^[3].

Moreover, another study on nurses (RN) tends to have a high rate of burnout (35-45%), which impacts negatively on both nursers’ health and quality of patient care. Preventing burnout before it reaches harmful levels may be possible with early diagnosis of burnout, maybe by tracking physiological data via wearables (such as smartwatches), in addition to psychological and work-related aspects. This strategy is investigated in the BROWNIE study, which integrates these indicators for early intervention in order to predict burnout in nurses ^[4].

Wearables for Workplace Safety: The Industrial Context

Beyond general wellness, wearable devices are increasingly being used in industries where safety is a critical concern, such as construction or manufacturing. Wearables designed for industrial safety can monitor environmental and personal metrics, providing real-time alerts to workers and supervisors about hazardous conditions and maintaining safety at the workplace. For example, devices can track body temperature, heart rate, and even exposure to toxic gases. This ability to continuously monitor both individual health and environmental factors allows employers to address safety risks proactively, potentially reducing workplace accidents ^[4]. Likewise, wearables for wellness have also been used to monitor and diagnose medical issues. For instance, at Expo 2020 Dubai, more than 5,000 construction workers were tracked using the WHOOP Strap fitness tracker. It monitored sleep patterns and cardiovascular health, as well as identifying employees who require workplace safety measures because of underlying disorders like heart-rate variability ^[5].

However, implementing wearable technology in high-risk industries comes with its own set of challenges. The first is the identification of system vulnerabilities that might endanger users. Second, firms should be more open about how they utilize personal data because abused data may potentially have negative effects. Third, some intelligent wearable vendors prioritize device functionality over data security. In light of these issues, several organizations have to assume accountability. To secure their personal information, users should become more knowledgeable and informed ^[6]. 

Union Reactions to Wearable Technology: Balancing Innovation and Worker Rights

As wearable technology becomes more commonplace, unions have raised concerns about its impact on workers’ rights and privacy. The prospect of employers using wearable devices to monitor employees in real-time—whether for performance or safety—has been met with resistance from labor unions. Using wellness wearables at work typically provides companies with access to location data on employees. Workers' negotiating strength may be further weakened as a result.

Canada's employee privacy laws are already complicated. Depending on the jurisdiction and industry of employment, it is regulated by a patchwork of laws that provide varying degrees of protection. The federally regulated private sector workplaces are subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). In accordance with collective bargaining agreements, unionized workers may also be granted unique privacy rights. Wearables with GPS at work, for example, may have an impact on collective bargaining as employers may be able to observe which workers frequently attend union meetings or who frequently gather in an area where unionization is being attempted ^[5].

Employers can watch and monitor workers' performance and movements via wearable technology, which may limit workers' autonomy and decision-making authority. The skill requirements for employees may also be lowered as a result. Another key concern for unions is the potential for these devices to be used as performance management tools. Many unions may fear that this could lead to heightened pressure, unrealistic expectations, and a loss of autonomy for workers. Additionally, there is concern that the data collected could be misused or accessed without consent, particularly in environments where workers have little bargaining power. This is particularly important in countries like Canada, where privacy laws are stringent, and employees have a right to control the use of their personal data ^[7].

Privacy and Compliance: Navigating Canadian Regulations

In Canada, the use of wearable technology in the workplace is governed by privacy regulations like PIPEDA. Employers must obtain informed consent before collecting any personal health data, and they must ensure that data is collected and used transparently ^[7]. This means that employees should be fully aware of what data is being collected, why it is being collected, and how it will be used. Data should be stored securely, with strict access controls to prevent misuse ^[7].

Employers must also be careful not to use wearable data for purposes that go beyond wellness monitoring. For example, using data to evaluate employee performance or make disciplinary decisions could open employers up to legal challenges. In this context, it is critical that organizations comply with both federal and provincial privacy laws to avoid breaching employees’ rights and facing potential legal consequences.

Conclusion: The Future of Employee Well-Being and Wearables

The potential for wearable technology to enhance employee well-being and safety is vast. From increasing physical activity and improving mental health to ensuring safer working conditions, wearables offer numerous benefits for both employers and employees. However, the widespread adoption of these technologies must be balanced with careful attention to privacy, compliance, and the protection of workers’ rights.

Unions play a crucial role in ensuring that wearable technology is implemented in a way that respects employees’ privacy and autonomy. As this technology continues to evolve, it will be important for employers to work collaboratively with labor organizations to address concerns, establish clear guidelines, and ensure that the technology benefits workers while safeguarding their rights.

Ultimately, the future of employee well-being through wearable technology will depend on how well organizations balance innovation with privacy protection and worker rights. By navigating these challenges thoughtfully, companies can create a healthier, safer, and more engaged workforce—while maintaining the trust and support of their employees.

Footnotes
^[1] Kang & Exworthy, 2022
^[2] Alhejaili & Alomainy, 2023
^[3] Torres & Zhang, 2021
^[4] Wilton et al., 2024
^[5] Dharamshi & Lipsey, 2022
^[6] Chang, Xu, Wong & Mendez, 2019
^[7] Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 2017

References

• Alhejaili, R., & Alomainy, A. (2023). The use of wearable technology in providing assistive solutions for mental well-being. Sensors, 23(17), 7378.
• Chang, V., Xu, X., Wong, B., & Mendez, V. (2019, May). Ethical problems of smart wearable devices. In 4th International Conference on Complexity, Future Information Systems and Risk (pp. 121-129). SciTePress.
• Dharamshi, A., & Lipsey, A. (2022). Exercising Privacy: Policy Options for Privacy and Wellness Wearables. 
• Kang, H. S., & Exworthy, M. (2022). Wearing the Future-Wearables to Empower Users to Take Greater Responsibility for Their Health and Care: Scoping Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(7), e35684. 
• Krzywdzinski, M., Evers, M., & Gerber, C. (2024). Control and Flexibility: The Use of Wearable Devices in Capital- and Labor-Intensive Work Processes. ILR Review, 77(4), 506-534.
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (2014). Wearable Computing - Challenges and opportunities for privacy protection - Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. 
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (2017, April 18). Wearable devices and your privacy. https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/report-a-concern/leg_info_201405/ 
• Svertoka, E., Saafi, S., Rusu-Casandra, A., Burget, R., Marghescu, I., Hosek, J., & Ometov, A. (2021). Wearables for Industrial Work Safety: A Survey. Sensors, 21(11), 3844.   
• Torres, C., & Zhang, L. (2021). The Impact of Wearable Devices on Employee Wellness: A Case Study in the Hospitality Industry. Hospitality Research Journal, 45(2), 78-92. 
• Wilton, A. R., Sheffield, K., Wilkes, Q., Chesak, S., Pacyna, J., Sharp, R., Croarkin, P. E., Chauhan, M., Dyrbye, L. N., Bobo, W. V., & Athreya, A. P. (2024). The Burnout PRedictiOn Using Wearable aNd ArtIficial IntelligEnce (BROWNIE) study: a decentralized digital health protocol to predict burnout in registered nurses. BMC Nursing, 23(1). 

Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only

Ashutosh Maru is an HR & Payroll Coordinator at PRIMED Medical Products Inc.