The Stop Spying Bosses Act restricts employers from excessively collecting, using, and transferring employee data, mandates transparency and access rights for workers, and establishes enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Labor.
Chris Deluzio
Representative
PA-17
The Stop Spying Bosses Act establishes comprehensive federal protections regarding the collection and use of employee data by employers. It strictly limits what data employers can collect, bans surveillance unrelated to essential job functions, and mandates transparency about data practices. The bill also grants workers rights to access and correct their data, creates a new Department of Labor division to oversee the law, and establishes robust enforcement mechanisms, including private lawsuits and the invalidation of forced arbitration agreements.
Stop Spying Bosses Act Bans Off-Clock Tracking and Grants Workers the Right to Audit Their Own Data
Work stays at work—at least that is the goal of the Stop Spying Bosses Act. This bill draws a hard line in the sand against the growing trend of 'bossware' by prohibiting employers from collecting any data on you while you are off-duty, including when you are at home, in the breakroom, or even in a restroom. Beyond just stopping the clock on surveillance, the bill forces companies with 11 or more employees to be crystal clear about what they are tracking, how they are tracking it, and why. It also creates a new 'Worker Protection and Technology Division' within the Department of Labor to make sure these rules are actually followed.
The Digital Privacy Fence
Under Section 3, your boss can no longer use tech to sniff out your political leanings, religious views, or whether you are thinking about joining a union. The bill limits data collection to 'essential' job functions, like making sure a delivery driver is safe or a remote coder is actually logged in. For example, if you are a warehouse worker, your employer can track your productivity during your shift to ensure safety, but they cannot keep the sensors running while you are in the locker room or after you have punched out for the day. Furthermore, any data they do collect generally has to be deleted three years after you leave the job (Section 3).
Your Data, Your Receipt
Ever wonder if a weird glitch in a tracking app cost you a promotion? Section 5 gives you the right to see the 'receipts.' You can request a copy of all the data your employer has on you, and they have 30 days to hand it over. If they use that data to make a 'work-related decision'—like denying a raise because an algorithm said you were distracted—they have to tell you exactly what data they used. You then get seven days to review that data, correct any mistakes (like a GPS error that made it look like you were late), and ask them to reconsider their decision based on the facts.
Accountability Without the Fine Print
One of the biggest shifts in this bill is how it handles disputes. Section 9 effectively kills 'forced arbitration' for privacy claims. Currently, if your company violates your privacy, you might be forced into a private meeting with a company-paid arbitrator. This bill allows you to take them to actual court instead. It also puts teeth into the law with real money: companies could face fines ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 per violation for mishandling your data. For the service providers and tech companies that sell surveillance software, the bill is equally tough, banning them from selling or licensing your data to third parties without your explicit 'opt-in' consent.