The ideological shift by nation-states to "a knowledge-based economy" (also referred to as "knowledge-based society") is causing changes in the workplace. Brought about by the forces of globalisation and technological innovation, the ideologies of the "knowledge-based economy" are not limited to influencing the production, consumption and economic restructuring of nations, governments and markets. In this regard, their impact on the social and the cultural in daily workplace life cannot be underestimated. At the same time, e-learning is heralded as the "grand" solution for adult education and training needs for a global workforce contending with the knowledge-based economy and workplace change. It boasts of ushering in an era of renewed workplace participation and worker empowerment by allowing for any-time education and anywhere-access to knowledge as defining characteristics of workplace democracy in the knowledge-based economy. The growing exposure of the global workforce to e-learning, against the backdrop of knowledge-based ideology, makes it vital to carry out a critical inquiry to consider the future of workplace democracy, education and empowerment. The relationship between democratic participation and work and e-learning becomes contradictory once contextualised by the ideologies of the knowledge-based economy and workplace transformation. Even though workplace democracy, education and empowerment may be claimed to be central motivations behind e-learning, there remains a sizeable chasm between e-learning as an instrument of knowledge-based ideology, and e-learning as a force that promotes social justice in the workplace. An understanding of this disparity may be invaluable for social action to sustain the fundamental relevance of workplace democracy, education and empowerment for a displaced global cohort of workers facing a future replete with knowledge-based, globalised, technologised and digitised workplaces.