Being spied on it work

[midlifespices]

I work for a company with

I’d say really loudly how you’d been reading about a case of an employer who was found to be illegally recording their employees?

Unplug it - stick a phone charger or something in there instead so if challenged you can say "whoops - didn't know this was being used for anything, by the way, what is it being used for?"

Turn it off, if you can, then they’d have to acknowledge it was recording you without your consent.

OP, just to warn you I once had similar and it turned out the owner really was sat at home watching my computer strokes, and go knows what else LIVE when he was supposed to be at meetings/in a conference. I pulled him up on it (over the monitoring system to test them) and was frogmarched out within the hour.

It is legal, and vague wording about employee monitoring allows it. I would just leave.

This shit is one of the reasons I am self-employed.

If you like the job and are awaiting a contract renewal then I'd just drop in a 'the owners must have been very clever/hard working/other compliment to start and grow a successful business like this' and remember never to say anything you wouldn't be happy to have them hear. Regarding illegality, I'd need to check but I think employers have fairy wide ranging rights in the UK (outside areas like toilets where privacy would be expected) if backed by a suitable contract. RIPA/equivalent is strict for filming the public hence the 'recording for the prevention of crime and for safety' notices they have to post.

Princess, that's my understanding for the UK. I could be wrong but all the PPs saying it's illegal/unlawful, why do you think that?

This happened at my previous work. I did what some other PPs have said and just turned it to face away from my desk. Didn’t have the confidence all those years ago to confront them.

If you haven't been informed of being recorded, that is not right? I am not a legal person though so apologies if my advice is way off!

At the very least I’d put something large down in front of it.

If you want impartial advice on this, you could talk to ACAS.

The important thing is whether or not you want your contract renewed, so sadly it seems like you might have to suck it up for a while if you really want the job.

@icelollycraving the issue is the wording. If they are monitoring you using their own equipment (whether that is spy software on their computers, or their microphones or cameras) they are within their rights to do it if they mention monitoring anywhere in their policies, even if it is not in the contract.

They don't have to explicitly say 'we will point a great big camera in your face' in your contract for it to be legal for them to do so.

It is an EU ruling @Zilla1 so not just UK.

Why don't you ask an open question e.g. 'could you tell me what this is?'

Do not ask if you're 'being spied on', or make any other suggestion / accusation as to what you imagine it could be for. Give your boss a chance to answer your question.

@Zilla1

Princess, that's my understanding for the UK. I could be wrong but all the PPs saying it's illegal/unlawful, why do you think that?

It's illegal because they haven't informed OP of what's happening.

Yes, they can record you but they have to tell you it's happening or at least that it's a possibility.

From ACAS: Employers must tell employees about any monitoring arrangements and the reason for it.

archive.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5721

One place I worked at very short term (locum) the boss phoned up on a Sunday to ask the receptionist why she wasn’t wearing the correct uniform. She had a smart blouse on of the right colour but it wasn’t the branded smart blouse due to laundry mishap. Owner of business was literally sat at home spying on us. For this and several other reasons I declined any further work with that business.

Personally now I would directly address this with my boss, but my employment is secure. In your shoes I’d perhaps turn it away to face the wall/place an object innocently in front of it and await comment. And always be aware anything you say at work could be reported.

Thank you, Princess. You're right (as you know you are). I'm trying to get into the habit of mentioning nations/locality when posting about legals as I see posts from PPs in other jurisdictions (when the OP has specified where they live) where the law differs and they assume it's the same everywhere.

@midlifespices

The thing is, I like my job, I don't want to rock the boat as my contract is up for renewal shortly I just cannot think why they'd be interested in anything I'm saying! Do people really playback and listen to these things or do you think they can just tap in every now and then?

But do you actually want to work for people who think this is acceptable?

I would be tempted to treat it like the recording devices in police station interview rooms and include a running commentary.
' For the benefit of the camera, this [holding a document up to the camera] is the outline of X which I am just about to start work on at my desk'.
'For the benefit of the recording, I am still working on the outline document because I have had four phinecalls in the last 15 minutes'.
If no-one is watching or listening in, no harm done.
If they are monitoring you, you will have made it clear that you know.

@vanillandhoney they may have done, they may not have done, we don't really know.

OP says that they have nothing in her contract or policies about being 'recorded'. We don't know if they have anything in there about being monitored.

It's shit and unfair but spreading inaccurate info isn't going to help anybody.

Also, even if they don't they can just introduce a new policy mentioning it and OP would have little recourse.

Are you sure it’s owned by your boss/the company and not someone who works there spying on others?

If it is your work doing it, you’ve got CCTV already so presumably you’re already aware you may be monitored at work - I’m not sure how much you can claim an expectation of privacy. (I’m not saying you should be happy about it, just that I would not immediately think it was illegal for your work to do this - you need proper legal advice if you want to go that route).

How happy are you about working under these conditions? You have a contract renewal coming up - is this a price worth paying to continue to work there? The safe thing, job wise, would be to put up with it knowing it’s there and adjusting your behaviour until after your contract is renewed then bring it up. But that does indicate a pretty fucked up work environment you’d be better off our of if you can get another job.

You could also approach it as assuming it isn’t theirs - Take the camera to the Boss and act all concerned that you’ve got some sort of pervert/industrial espionage situation going on and thought they ought to know about.

Put a radio on right next to it.

Turn the plug off when you go in.

This happened in our office a couple of years ago, only it was just another office dweller who put it up and then went on 'sick leave' for a few weeks. Complaining long and loud to the management went absolutely no where. I had turned it off and when found out, the person on 'sick leave' came in and took it away. I can only think the perpetrator has naked pictures of the boss in the office because of how he got away with it. And this, btw, is the kind of place you might reasonably expect extra special security measures to be in place. I took it a bit higher, to someone who should have been more of an 'authority'. but apparently what he did wasn't nice but it wasn't illegal. I said, well then, it guess its ok if i walk all around the site talking about it then, if it's fine. And was slightly threatened that doing that might end up causing ME some bother! I am still waiting for karma to get him,

Pre contract renewal, I would casually drop in some compliments about the job/owners etc here and there to others in the office. Once the ink has dried on my new contract, I would unplug the offending article and plug in something else (e.g.a fan or phone charger) or hang a thick winter coat over it, whatever is easiest

@supersop60

I'd hang my coat on it. Any reaction to that would tell you what is going on! Or, as a pp said, just ask.

Exa toy hat I was going to say. My coat would be laid across it every day until they said something to me.

I actually read an article about this in an HR magazine recently and was astonished to learn there aren't clear regulations around monitoring your employees - it's becoming an even bigger issue as companies are installing software to monitor people's computer activity when they WFH. I'm not sure if that's true of recording conversations and video though, although I suspect it is allowed - CCTV doesn't ask for your permission, after all. I really think there needs to be regulation around this - it should at least be declared to all employees that they are being monitored, and in what way.