new state of the art system fitted at work... is it legal??

[is_it_legal 0]

Hi

the company i work for has just had a state of the art system fitted so they say it is,

now i dont know nothing about cctv but it a system that can be logged onto any time on the internet.

 

I do not really have a problem with any of the system that my boss has had fitted except the 2 following points.

 

1. He has fitted a cctv camera in the canteen and some of us eat and take breaks in their and also get changed out of our work cloths.

 

2. He has fitted over 16 cameras and most of them are looking at the work force and some are covering main doorways and a few are even pointing down the road.

 

can any one tell me if this is quite normal or is this not acceptable for my boss to do this, the company i work for is in the united kingdom.

 

should you need any other information then please let me know, also if i have posted this in the wrong section then i am very sorry for that, many thanks in advance... is_it_legal

[Smit9352 0]

Simply going by what I know if he has signs up letting people know they are being monitored in his facility then it is perfectly legal. He's simply trying to secure his business and his inventory which is not illegal under any circumstance.

 

 

Now as far as your "break" area goes that would need to be a joint session between most if not all workers in the facility to explain to him the problems with putting a camera in the canteen. Hopefully he'll understand where you are coming from but if he does not then I would get dressed or change elsewhere.

 

 

Good luck.

[alanjh1965 0]

As long as signs are displayed that ''CCTV is being recorded for the Purpose of Crime Prevention and Public Safety'', then he is complying with the Data Protection Act on CCTV.

 

Have a read of the guidelines for systems here in the UK.....

 

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/topic_specific_guides/cctv.aspx

 

''In areas where people have a heightened expectation of privacy, such as changing rooms or toilet areas, cameras should only be used in the most exceptional circumstances where it is necessary to deal with very serious concerns. In these cases, you should make extra effort to ensure that those under surveillance are aware''

 

It sounds like a typical installation for a commercial premises, it isn't uncommon to install a camera in the canteen. These days the Boss likes to keep an eye on his employees from his Villa in Spain !

 

Hope this helps

[CollinR 0]

Dunno about the breakroom but if changing is taking place I think you are on very thin ice.

[survtech 0]

The company only has to comply with the "Data Protection Act" if they are located in Great Britain. Other areas of the world have different laws. In most of the U.S., it is not even necessary to post a sign saying that cameras are being recorded unless the audio is also being recorded.

 

"The US First Circuit Court of Appeals held that video surveillance cameras do not violate employees' right to privacy if they are not concealed. Workers should not reasonably expect to have privacy from supervision by superiors if they work in an open area. Video surveillance systems that do not record sound do not violate the first amendment. The National Labor Relations Board concluded that hidden cameras should be included in labor negotiations because they involve privacy issues." - Monthly Labor Review, July, 1997

 

"The federal law prohibits anyone from recording images of an individual's "private areas" without consent when that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Every state in the U.S. now has some legal prohibition of video voyeurism or invasion of privacy, except Iowa and Washington D.C. About half of these statutes actually make this kind of video recording a felony. Many have an even harsher punishment for distributing such videos." - Video Voyeurism and Surveillance Laws in the Workplace by Sharon MacDonald

 

So basically, video cameras that do not record audio are legal almost anywhere in the U.S. except in bathrooms, changing rooms and a few other areas where people would expect privacy; and even there, may be legal if the video itself is not used for illegal purposes.

[scorpion 0]

http://louisville.edu/cbpa/lmc/research/sr.tribbey.pdf

[crirvine 0]

The breakroom is not a room where a person would expect privicy you are just using it for that. A room of privicy is a bathroom , locker room , changing room , bedroom ect. In most states you donot even have to display any warning of recording just check your state laws.