Employer breached my privacy

74jax

pjcox2005 said:

If they've viewed you on a webcam without any notice that this may be done then it's a clear invasion of privacy. I would raise it with HR and ask them to provide details of the monitoring software and what functionality was used so you know their on record position.

Where you take it from there and if you still want to work for that company is up to you?

As a side note, I've never kept my home life that secret from work (i appreciate others may feel they need to) but it really intrigues me you're concerned about them seeing house decor, your dog or background photos. That seems a bit OTT on the privacy point (although doesn't change the opening paragraph as clearly wrong without consent).

I appreciate that, I would just never invite any of them round so don't think they should see my personal stuff.
My company was fine though and we just used the inbuilt backgrounds, it really wasnt an issue.   It was more so at my husband's and a policy came out not to use your own room as a background, like I say this came about when someone only had their bedroom as their study, but my work didn't go as far as a policy. 

JamoLew

Really interesting to see the different view points.

It’s up to the OP how they want to proceed.

OFC the employer may decide that WFH is no longer possible if the employee(s) protest too much

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

pjcox2005 said:

As a side note, I've never kept my home life that secret from work (i appreciate others may feel they need to) but it really intrigues me you're concerned about them seeing house decor, your dog or background photos. That seems a bit OTT on the privacy point (although doesn't change the opening paragraph as clearly wrong without consent).

It's not really that though, is it.  Quite rightly she isn't going to list the actual things that she doesn't want them seeing.

I find it extraordinary that anyone can possibly imagine this is ok (I realise you don't).  During the pandemic people have had to work from lounges, bedrooms, etc with no dedicated office space; it is absolutely beyond me how anyone could consider it in any way acceptable to monitor that without warning.  If I were working in my bedroom and my wife came in and got changed, are all these people really saying they are ok with their company watching that?

In fact I have to say I find it so hard to believe any company (short of a one man band run by an idiot) would actually think this appropriate that I feel the OP must have got the wrong end of the stick somewhere and they do not actually do this.

justworriedabit

ScorpiondeRooftrouser said:

pjcox2005 said:

As a side note, I've never kept my home life that secret from work (i appreciate others may feel they need to) but it really intrigues me you're concerned about them seeing house decor, your dog or background photos. That seems a bit OTT on the privacy point (although doesn't change the opening paragraph as clearly wrong without consent).

It's not really that though, is it.  Quite rightly she isn't going to list the actual things that she doesn't want them seeing.

I find it extraordinary that anyone can possibly imagine this is ok (I realise you don't).  During the pandemic people have had to work from lounges, bedrooms, etc with no dedicated office space; it is absolutely beyond me how anyone could consider it in any way acceptable to monitor that without warning.  If I were working in my bedroom and my wife came in and got changed, are all these people really saying they are ok with their company watching that?

In fact I have to say I find it so hard to believe any company (short of a one man band run by an idiot) would actually think this appropriate that I feel the OP must have got the wrong end of the stick somewhere and they do not actually do this.

Indeeed and what I was going to say.

OP, consult your union etc as it does not appear right on any level, they should have made it 100% clear to you beforehand.

I'm a bit confused re your post but if the way I read it and as stated by the poster I have quoted, this is a very serious breach of privacy and if anyone is ok with that, then they don't understand the full implications of 'consent' and 'breach of privacy.'

Take care.

Savvy_Sue

Undervalued said:

However if you are working from home I think it is reasonable to expect the same level of professionalism (however you define it) as would be required in the office. Some would argue if you can't be bothered to get out of your pyjamas you may well be taking an equally relaxed approach to the rest of your work!

I think this is what it boils down to. I believe some organisations where WFH has long been a thing require or at least strongly suggest that you put shoes on rather than slopping in your slippers (although I have one colleague who wears slippers at the office, changing out of cycling shoes on arrival ...)

If I was doing a phone interview for a job, I'd put my interview gear on. If I'm working, I put my work clothes on (fortunately casual is fine). When I answer the phone, I smile. You can't see me doing it, but I believe it still comes across, and being properly 'dressed' for the occasion builds my confidence. 

[Deleted User]

I agree with tracking productivity, but your employer watching you on the webcam(which I believe it's possible that secretly done, the light won't come up), is an invasion of privacy and creepy.

robatwork

hopperdennis said:

I've been working at home for almost the past year in a Covid related role. I've recently learned that my direct manager has been watching myself and my colleague's, without us knowing. We have some kind of agent track software on our laptops and my not so professional or savvy manager let it recently slip that they could see us into out homes for a period when tracking our productivity, and that this is now not the case. I like to think of myself as easy going however this feels like a total violation. There was no forewarning that this was happening, only a few comments after it had happened in the context that it should not have been happening in the first place, and is now not happening going forward. I don't believe this has been recorded, however the fact they were able to switch on our webcam with this tracking software and watch us without my knowing really has me feeling so uneasy about work amongst other emptions. I am not sure how to handle this because the role is temporary and as the situation with Covid improves in the UK, there is a constant reduction in work force and I feel raising any concern will earmark me. I have a feeling some of my colleges are feeling and thinking just the same. What would you do in this siutation?

OP can you find out which software tracking is installed?  

Activtrak doesn't seem to come with anything that will allow remote webcam access so I'm interested in which product actually allow this.

Snuggles

Undervalued said:

However if you are working from home I think it is reasonable to expect the same level of professionalism (however you define it) as would be required in the office. Some would argue if you can't be bothered to get out of your pyjamas you may well be taking an equally relaxed approach to the rest of your work!

I personally think this is such an old fashioned attitude - what I am wearing has no bearing whatsoever on how well I do my job. Unless I'm engaging in online meetings where people can see me, I don't think that my employer has any right to tell me what I should and shouldn't be wearing in my own home. They pay me to do a job, and as long as I am doing that, what I wear in my home is none of their business IMO.

If they want to dictate how people dress in the office, that's fine, but to tell me what to wear in my home when no one is going to see me - that just smacks of controlling managers who have no trust in their staff and assume they'll slack off just because they can't be seen.

Thankfully my employer is more enlightened. Some days I get up, shower, and dress and then start work. Other days I get up, log on and work all day in my PJs, showering after work. There is no difference whatsoever in my attitude, professionalism or how much work I get done. 

MalMonroe

I'd just like to know who is tracking the trackers? I mean how much is that manager being paid for spying on the OP and their colleagues? What a job! Not.

Anyhoo, OP, it's only a temporary job, is it not? That gives you the opportunity to leave this nosy employer behind. Which I certainly would.

Having said that most employers have the technology to see how all their employees use their computers at work, which sites they visit, how often, etc. So everyone's always being spied on but this does seem to be a bit extreme. Stick some black tape over the webcam hole. Just in case. 

And look around for another, less intrusive, employer.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

MalMonroe said:

I'd just like to know who is tracking the trackers? I mean how much is that manager being paid for spying on the OP and their colleagues? What a job! Not.

Anyhoo, OP, it's only a temporary job, is it not? That gives you the opportunity to leave this nosy employer behind. Which I certainly would.

Having said that most employers have the technology to see how all their employees use their computers at work, which sites they visit, how often, etc. So everyone's always being spied on but this does seem to be a bit extreme. Stick some black tape over the webcam hole. Just in case. 

And look around for another, less intrusive, employer.

As they haven't responded for a while I would bet that they have either found out that they misunderstood, or the that the manager  who made this claim was just trying to scare them.  If it is the latter it is still stupid behaviour on the manager's part, of course.  

The most likely scenario is that someone has completely jumped to conclusions on hearing that there is monitoring software on the laptops to check what people are actually doing on them.