After Wells Fargo recently fired a dozen employees for moving their keyboards around to evade productivity detection software, there’s a renewed focus on employee monitoring and the law. For example, can you use CCTV to watch employees?
The Value of CCTV
Certainly, CCTV is a fantastic resource that can be used for so many applications in the modern world, from crime prevention on a busy Portsmouth street by the city council, to a CCTV drain survey Leicester from a drain specialist such as https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/cctv-drain-surveys-leicester/.
The Law and Employee Monitoring
But when it comes to watching employees, is the law concerned about privacy and the overstepping of corporate surveillance? The brief answer is no, it’s still legal to monitor employees, so long as they know that the monitoring is taking place.
For employers, there can be real benefits in monitoring staff at work. For example, it can prevent incorrect use of IT systems, ensure H&S obligations are being met and prevent security incidents.
Employee Rights at Work
However, businesses must understand that employees have rights in this regard, particularly in relation to how their personal data is managed under GDPR.
It is legal to monitor which websites staff are visiting, to install CCTV in a building or to check bags as staff leave. However, businesses cannot monitor staff wherever they want, such as in a changing room or toilet and they cannot hide cameras.
Employers must also give information about where cameras are placed and how employee data is being used. Without these policies and procedures in place, they can find themselves in breach of the law.
There are also issues relating to employee trust. For businesses, it is wise to go beyond the basics of the law and proactively communicate with workers to explain the purpose of the cameras, their usage and their management. This helps to maintain trust between employers and employees rather than creating a wall of surveillance.
In conclusion, modern CCTV cameras are a valuable addition to a workplace, but only when they are used correctly and in line with the law.
