Teleperformance AI employee monitoring scheme prompts backlash

Plans by French call centre company Teleperformance to use cameras connected to an AI system to monitor employees working from home for home-working 'infractions' resulted in a backlash.

According to leaked documents leaked to The Guardian, workers would have to explain why they are leaving their desks to avoid being reported for a breach, amongst other requirements. 

The plans led to complaints by trade unions about the 'unreasonable' and 'intrusive' nature of worker virtual monitoring programmes, including their impact on the privacy of those being monitored and their families.

Teleperformance, which employs over 380,000 people in 34 countries and counts Apple, Amazon and Uber as customers, later said the remote scans for infractions would not be used in the UK. 

The company also faced strong resistance to its workforce monitoring activities and solutions in Albania, Colombia, the US and other countries.