How should employment laws adapt to the metaverse?

THE way we work has undoubtedly changed, accelerated first by technological developments and then the Covid-19 pandemic. Remote or hybrid working is here to stay, and employers have taken note of these developments.

As the workplace continues to evolve, businesses and employers have begun to look towards the next destination – the metaverse. It is anticipated that how we live our lives, including how we work, will shift towards the virtual space.

But with employment laws having been developed largely in the context of the physical office, how will we adapt to employment in the metaverse? Should legal concepts such as workplace harassment, discrimination, and employee data protection, be adapted?