Google Contract Staff Reach Union Deal Banning Keystroke Monitoring

Deal with employer Accenture also protects their ability to work remotely

An employee arrives at the Google Bay View campus in Mountain View, California.

Photographer: Mike Kai Chen/Bloomberg
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A group of Google Help staffers reached a union contract with their employer, Accenture Plc, securing protections on remote work and workplace surveillance that could be a template for others in Alphabet Inc.’s sprawling contract workforce.

The collective bargaining agreement between Accenture and the Alphabet Workers Union covers about 25 workers including writers and design analysts. Employees voted Wednesday to ratify the deal, which the union said guarantees permanent work-from-home options, creates a committee where management is required to consider workers’ input on software tools, and prohibits Accenture from monitoring their keystrokes or mouse movements.