Companies have an increasing range of technological tools at their disposal to monitor employee behaviors. For all the opportunities such tools may bring, the collection of employee data raises risks, including employee resentment and scrutiny from regulators. Counsel from the California Privacy Protection Agency, Sidley Austin and Center for Democracy & Technology recently delved into workplace monitoring trends and issues at IAPP’s Privacy.Security.Risk. 2024 conference. This first article in a two-part series distilling their insights covers the types of employee data companies are collecting and how and why they collect it, as well as employees’ concerns and how to navigate them. Part two will address the law and regulatory efforts relevant to employee monitoring as well as best practices and compliance strategies companies should consider when collecting employee data. See “Navigating U.S. Privacy Laws in Internal Investigations” (Aug. 28, 2024).