Legislators in the state of Washington are currently considering House Bill 2303, which provides that an employer “may not request, require, or coerce any employee to have a microchip implanted in the employee for any reason”.

There is no evidence of any employer anywhere in the US having sought to microchip their workers.

However, the legislation has been approved by the Washington House of Representatives and has been approved by a committee in the Washington State Senate, putting it well on its way to becoming law.

In a statement, Democratic lawmaker Brianna Thomas, co-sponsor of the bill, said: “Microchips may seem like science fiction, but the technology is here. The concept is pretty simple: Don’t chip me, bro!”

She added: “[Microchipping] creates an opportunity for employers to track employees during work hours and at home. That is scary.

“We recognise that the power dynamic between an employer and an employee makes true freedom of choice nearly impossible.

“This is a big step to help protect our employees from being microchipped by their employer.”

Ms Thomas said passing the law would make Washington the 14th state to ban or restrict the use of microchips in work environments.