My boss is monitoring staff via CCTV. Is this legal?

mountainofdebt

I got the impression that the boss wasn't spying as such but verifying the claims made by the employees.

sounds as if someone at some point claimed to do something but didn't

amiehall

DKLS wrote: »

I can trust my staff to do their jobs without resorting to viewing cctv footage, but then again I treat my staff like adults.


I set them tasks and agree with them when they can be completed by and they send me a simple report every Friday which lists what they have achieved that week and what they plan on doing the next.


I have only reviewed cctv footage once and that was to identify a member of staff who had sticky fingers.

The point seems to be that some of the staff have not been doing as they're supposed to and recording false times for activities they haven't done on documents. Once the manager has identified this happening, investigating further using CCTV seems sensible and reasonable to me!

If nothing else, the very fact that staff know that he may check up on the CCTV means that they're probably more likely to do the work properly in the future.

TurnUpForTheBooks_2

Clearly we have surpervisors and bosses out there who see themselves as holding power over employees via CCTV.

In the UK we are now one of the world's most surveilled societies.

How do we think successful companies run without CCTV? Might it be via excellent management?

I think it is a sorry tale the OP brings before us, and as usual, the bulk of responses suggest that the "bad thing" (the overbearing use of CCTV) is normal.

The more enlightened reader will see how the thread paints a picture of the UK which is not pretty when compared to other societies.

DKLS

amiehall wrote: »

The point seems to be that some of the staff have not been doing as they're supposed to and recording false times for activities they haven't done on documents. Once the manager has identified this happening, investigating further using CCTV seems sensible and reasonable to me!

If nothing else, the very fact that staff know that he may check up on the CCTV means that they're probably more likely to do the work properly in the future.

It is sensible and reasonable, but unnecessary with decent management.


I know what tasks my staff haven't completed and that's fine as long as there is some mitigating reason. This just seems a tool to enable more bad management.

amiehall

If there is a reason the task hasn't been completed, of course that's fine. What I think isn't fine is to pretend that the task has been accomplished and complete paperwork to that effect. Why not just be honest...?

It's not a great culture if people are not often doing what they're supposed to on a night shift when the manager is absent, however, collecting evidence so you can tackle the individuals at fault is surely the first step?

lincroft1710

DKLS wrote: »

I can trust my staff to do their jobs without resorting to viewing cctv footage, but then again I treat my staff like adults.

I have only reviewed cctv footage once and that was to identify a member of staff who had sticky fingers.

So clearly one of them could not be trusted.

RobertoMoir

lincroft1710 wrote: »

So clearly one of them could not be trusted.

But presumably then, the majority of them could.

There's a difference between reviewing archive footage to deal with an incident that has come to light (which isn't unreasonable imho), and habitual monitoring of staff by CCTV, which is just poor management.

goonarmy

This appears to me to be no different to watching a person complete their task in person. Sometimes my employers see my work some times they dont. Neither of these options effect they way i work or the quality.

Jamopy

swingaloo wrote: »

At out place the bosses are often gathered around the cameras checking on things.

Strictly speaking, if they don't have SIA licenses they're not allowed to bein CCTV control rooms or monitor the feed of the system.

But surely there would be no point in them having the cameras if they did not look at the footage to check things.

Data protection laws are pretty clear, and simply using CCTV to look over your employees shoulders as they work is illegal. Proving they are doing that may be difficult though.

Jamopy

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

They are at work so shouldn't be doing anything they don't want anyone else to see... Whether in person or via video.

Being in a work place does not violate any persons right to privacy. CCTV systems have to be used for security purposes, if you are using them just to spy on your employees you are breaking the law.

I really cannot see a problem.

Whether you can see a problem or not isn't an issue. Whether it is legal and in line with company policy are the issues.