Question about surveillance cameras at work?

[slocar]

The place I work recently had a very impressive camera system installed. Although there are some cameras pointing "outward" toward who comes and goes in and out..a lot of the cameras are pointed toward the work stations. Not only can they remotely control the cameras to zoom in close enough to read whatever you're reading..they can pickup sound. At first I thought nothing of it..but after a few people were randomly sent home I had to inquire. Apparently they're using the cameras to watch people work and also listen to their conversations with other employees and send them home for not "being productive enough" that day.

So, my question is..is this legal? Is it legal to use video/audio footage of non-illegal activities against us? I could definitely understand if people were plotting to steal things/were stealing things and that was caught on tape..but what they're doing seems ridiculous to me. I haven't been a victim of this..but as the department manager I feel like there is something I have to do to help my fellow employees. Any information/responses would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Hockey9019]

The place I work recently had a very impressive camera system installed. Although there are some cameras pointing "outward" toward who comes and goes in and out..a lot of the cameras are pointed toward the work stations. Not only can they remotely control the cameras to zoom in close enough to read whatever you're reading..they can pickup sound. At first I thought nothing of it..but after a few people were randomly sent home I had to inquire. Apparently they're using the cameras to watch people work and also listen to their conversations with other employees and send them home for not "being productive enough" that day.

So, my question is..is this legal? Is it legal to use video/audio footage of non-illegal activities against us? I could definitely understand if people were plotting to steal things/were stealing things and that was caught on tape..but what they're doing seems ridiculous to me. I haven't been a victim of this..but as the department manager I feel like there is something I have to do to help my fellow employees. Any information/responses would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Where I work, we have a camera in our dispatch office. It is to ensure "no goofing off". I was "talked" to about being in there for a bit too long of time a few weeks ago. The camera is in the office because people were going in there and not going out on patrol and just slacking off all day.

You can put a camera ANYWHERE where there is no expectation of privacy. There is an expectation of privacy when you go to the bathroom. There is an expectation of privacy when you are in a dressing room. There is an expectation of privacy in your bedroom. (ie: Putting a camera in your bedroom re: a baby sitter is a no no. Putting a camera in the livingroom, you can, you have no expectation of privacy in some ways) At work you have NO expectation of privacy. Even if you wish you did. The lines at your work may even be recorded.

Now another thing is if they have a camera INSIDE the bathroom, then thats a no no. But they can have it outside the bathroom pointing at the entry.

Don't worrry bout it, do your job, go home. Thats all you gotta do
Anyways someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong

[slocar]

Where I work, we have a camera in our dispatch office. It is to ensure "no goofing off". I was "talked" to about being in there for a bit too long of time a few weeks ago. The camera is in the office because people were going in there and not going out on patrol and just slacking off all day.

You can put a camera ANYWHERE where there is no expectation of privacy. There is an expectation of privacy when you go to the bathroom. There is an expectation of privacy when you are in a dressing room. There is an expectation of privacy in your bedroom. (ie: Putting a camera in your bedroom re: a baby sitter is a no no. Putting a camera in the livingroom, you can, you have no expectation of privacy in some ways) At work you have NO expectation of privacy. Even if you wish you did. The lines at your work may even be recorded.

Now another thing is if they have a camera INSIDE the bathroom, then thats a no no. But they can have it outside the bathroom pointing at the entry.

Don't worrry bout it, do your job, go home. Thats all you gotta do
Anyways someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong

I'm pretty sure you're right..but I'm hoping you're wrong. It just frustrates me that all the upper office people will stop doing their jobs and hang around the monitor watching us waiting for us to "look like we're not doing anything" so they can yell at us/"discipline" us. :mad:

[canuckofapeach]

Depending on your occupation, there is some expectation of privacy with respect to your job duties. For instance, if it involves other's sensitive information ie financial, personal, legal etc., then a camera within the department would be a breach of confidentiality. Your employer can monitor common areas to prevent unauthorized access and if your calls are taped, then there should be full disclosure and perhaps a document that is both signed by you and your employer as a 'CYA' measure. Mostly to protect the firm from irate and devious clients. Daily auditing controls are in place.
At least, that is how it works at my primary place of employment in a Capital Markets Trading department (Brokerage).
My secondary gig is at a police HQ, so the monitoring that is implemented leans towards the user ID and internal system monitoring of my case loads, comprising of emails and files that are sent to different squads and detectives and the PD's Intranet.

[Hockey9019]

Depending on your occupation, there is some expectation of privacy with respect to your job duties. For instance, if it involves other's sensitive information ie financial, personal, legal etc., then a camera within the department would be a breach of confidentiality. Your employer can monitor common areas to prevent unauthorized access and if your calls are taped, then there should be full disclosure and perhaps a document that is both signed by you and your employer as a 'CYA' measure. Mostly to protect the firm from irate and devious clients. Daily auditing controls are in place.
At least, that is how it works at my primary place of employment in a Capital Markets Trading department (Brokerage).
My secondary gig is at a police HQ, so the monitoring that is implemented leans towards the user ID and internal system monitoring of my case loads.

+1

Hospitals, due to HIPPA we have to be VERY careful on what goes on. :rolleyes:

But a camera in a room full of monitors that show everything like that is kinda meh.


But yeah it sucks, you just gotta roll your eyes at it and work. If not theres plently other jobs out there :D

[MDEMT280]

I'm no lawyer, but the recording of sound MIGHT be an issue.

MD Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings, § 10-402

a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this subtitle it is unlawful for any person to:

(1) Willfully intercept, endeavor to intercept, or procure any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept, any wire, oral, or electronic communication;

But, like I said, I aren't no lawyer, and I only skimmed through the rest of the section of law there. Mayhaps thou shouldst procure thineself a legal representative? :D

[highwayman]

So, my question is..is this legal? Is it legal to use video/audio footage of non-illegal activities against us? I could definitely understand if people were plotting to steal things/were stealing things and that was caught on tape..but what they're doing seems ridiculous to me. I haven't been a victim of this..but as the department manager I feel like there is something I have to do to help my fellow employees. Any information/responses would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The real issues in this particular story (as you describe it) are not if your employer is moving within the legal framework by monitoring staff through CCTV.

If he is monitoring and running the business via CCTV, then the reason is that he doesn't trust the people he selected to do the job for him.

True leaders always take responsibility for their followers failures and shortcomings, they selected them in the first place.
Somewhere in the internal chain of command structure there is a problem and he is trying to fix it.
"Hey, if my managers can't do it, the cameras will ." :rolleyes:

So the issue here is not if the employees are trustworthy or not but how accurate the owner's judgement really is. ;)

Something else to think about as well: the presence of cameras doesn't necessarilly mean they are solely monitoring employee activity.

[Whitebear]

legal or not....... if are doing your job and if you are not bull****ting or doing crap you don't even have to worry about it.... camera are disturbing for people who are not clean and who have a lack of honesty......

[suzanne1020U.S.]

What' the big deal? If you're of good moral character ,and I'm sure you are, what's the big deal?

[oscarmitre]

The only surveillance cameras in my workplace are for security outside and inside the building (critical infrastructure). There are none in the actual workplace. And there isn't likely to be either. Our union would shoot that down inside ten seconds. My employer gets the best work I can do for them and my duties are carried out properly but they don't own me and I won't surrender a basic civil right - to be free of snoopers - over to them.

[Whitebear]

should have cameras in every police stations....... I remember about 10 years ago a female officers who was filling up reports at the front desk who has been shot in the head by someone who came in. no cameras, no pictures of the suspect and the guy is still at large. with a picture taken by cameras it would probably gave the chance to catch teh scum bag...

[Scruit]

I was asked to design a camera system that would allow us to see all of the major monitoring stations across the world. The purpose was for marketing - a client would sit down with the director and that director would be able to bring up live video feeds showing people working in the monitoring stations 24x7. The cameras would have been fixed and not enough detail to show what was on the screen, and no audio.

I asked the project manager to talk to Legal about getting the monitoring station operators to sign waivers showing that they are aware of the cameras and the scope of what they cover. Legal came back with; "No cameras that can show a person's screen, or face." Of course, that killed the project right there.

[Scruit]

The place I work recently had a very impressive camera system installed. Although there are some cameras pointing "outward" toward who comes and goes in and out..a lot of the cameras are pointed toward the work stations. Not only can they remotely control the cameras to zoom in close enough to read whatever you're reading..they can pickup sound. At first I thought nothing of it..but after a few people were randomly sent home I had to inquire. Apparently they're using the cameras to watch people work and also listen to their conversations with other employees and send them home for not "being productive enough" that day.

So, my question is..is this legal? Is it legal to use video/audio footage of non-illegal activities against us? I could definitely understand if people were plotting to steal things/were stealing things and that was caught on tape..but what they're doing seems ridiculous to me. I haven't been a victim of this..but as the department manager I feel like there is something I have to do to help my fellow employees. Any information/responses would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Seriously, get another job. I am the world's biggest CCTV fan and have installed systems at home, at work, in my car, and even installed a camera on my RC plane... And I still say that this level of close monitoring of your staff is BAD, unless it exists for the protection of the staff.

My cameras exist for very specific reasons, all of them I consider to be in good faith.

1) Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjlnW8dzB08 I can monitor from work, and last month I got a call from the alarm company was was able to tell them that it was a false alarm by looking at the live camera images. If someone DOES break in then I should have evidence to assist the police and my insurance claim.

2) Work: http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m...ent=output.flv My cubicle is wired because I've had stuff stolen from it. The camera only shows inside my cube and does not record audio. Some weird stuff goes on in there when I'm not there.

3) Car: http://s103.photobucket.com/albums/m...f_whitevan.flv At-fault drivers tend to lie to the police, so camera footage of an accident would be the evidence I need if I am not at fault.

4) RC Plane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0qFfb9KoHw Becuase it's cool. I can get aerial shots of my house. I've even been asked to keep an eye on a nearby junkyard that was grandfathered when the zoning rules changed. It currently uses half of it's 20 acre property and is not allowed to expand. My neighbors suspect they are illegaly expanding the junkyard and have asked me to overfly it and document the expansion. I have turned them down for now, telling them it's none of my business and I think that's an invasion of the junkyard's privacy. If I get someone in a position of power asks me to do it, like a township trustee or something then maybe I'll do it. I dunno. Seems legally dangerous.

EDIT: Photobucket and Youtube reduce the resolution a lot. The originals of these videos are much higher quality.

[highwayman]

1) Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjlnW8dzB08 I can monitor from work, and last month I got a call from the alarm company was was able to tell them that it was a false alarm by looking at the live camera images. If someone DOES break in then I should have evidence to assist the police and my insurance claim.

I have two cams mounted right outside my door, both facing eachother with about 20% field overlaping and no blind spots.

Naturally they capture the action on the street 2 blocks away, which gives me something to do with my free time.

[Soxfan101]

Ok, we are just going to insert this GPS chip into your skin. Now you never have to worry about your safety because if your ever in trouble just click your heels three times and help will be sent to you via your personal global posistioning device!

We will also be installing personal barcodes on your wrist. This barcode will secure all your personal and financial needs with one swipe of the wrist.

Congrats to the new baby, be sure you take him to the mandatory blood screening so we can put his DNA profile in the system.

If your not hiding anything than what is the problem? If you dont like the rules, leave America you Commi %^^$#*!!!!!!

:D


Anyway, Those are certainly not ideal working conditions you have there.