Employers use digital tools to watch workers.

They watch where workers go.

They watch how much work workers do.

They watch messages too.

These tools became common during the pandemic.

Experts say new AI helps employers make big data sets about workers.

Wilneida Negrón works for a group called Coworker.

She said workers with little power face data watching first.

Lannie Duong is a pharmacist.

She said her employer watched her calls and appointments.

She felt pressure and hopelessness.

She said her job ended after she took medical leave.

Arianna Anaya is a college teacher.

She found an administrator read her private notes on student work.

She said the school used the online system to read personal student work.

Her teaching contract did not get a new one.

Some states need employers to tell workers about watching.

These states are New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maine.

Maine also stops watching in homes or cars unless the job needs it.

In other states, it is hard to know if an employer is watching.

Experts say ask managers or the IT team what data they collect.

To keep personal information safe, experts say do not use work devices for private things like health problems.

Hayley Tsukayama works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

She said workers should know some watching happens on work machines.

She said talk to a union about worries.

Aiha Nguyen works for Data & Society.

She said tracking in common software may not always be on.

But it can be hard to know.