Nanny Camera

[NJE]

Hi,

my friend got told this morning that the family set up a Nanny camera in their living room and the nursery. The family employs her and another nanny on days when my friend is ill or not available. I was just wondering what are your opinions on it and does anyone of you use a nanny cam?

Well it's good that they told her as it's illegal otherwise!

I don't see a problem with it personally as long as I was told about it. It's not like I'd do anything differently and that way the parents can see things they're otherwise missing out on during the day.

Where I work I'm regularly on cctv and it doesn't bother me tbh, but I'm not the only person there and I'm not being scrutinised the way a nanny might.

I wouldn't want to watch footage of my childminder - I trust her and the odd thing that I might do differently isn't worth knowing about.

I think it's a bad idea - and a nanny friend of mine once pointed out that a nanny probably wouldn't get sacked for maltreating a child but (if it were a secret camera) could find herself out on her ear for sitting there with her nanny pals all of them saying 'Christ those are hideous curtains and have you seen the wedding photo on the side? What a heifer!'

The told her today but my friend has seen it before. Yes, the other nanny came on Saturday and parents saw some things they nanny certainly didn't want them to see.

My friend is just a bit upset that the family doesn't trust her.

Oh eek. Sounds like a really tricky situation...

I think she needs to ask them how long the camera has been there without her knowing. They had no right to film her without her permission. How does she know there's footage of the other nanny?

I think if I said to my cm 'I'm going to set up a camera to watch you' she would be very pissed off and rightly so tbh.

It says very clearly 'I don't really trust you' and is utterly stupid because if someone knows they're on camera, they're going to put on their best side, and take the kid elsewhere to smack it (and slag off the curtains)

Face it, we'd all nitpick to a degree. It's asking for trouble.

She said it was there for a long time. She works for the family for a while now. Mum told her but not the other nanny (who got filmed on Saturday leaving one of the girls on the sofa and one locked in the kitchen for 45min and only stopped it because the girl on the sofa fell down and hurt herself badly.)

Sounds like a lack of trust issue and possibly with good reason if one of the nannies is locking a child in the kitchen for 45 minutes.

If an employer was concerned about their children's welfare, then I can see that installing some kind of camera may appeal. It could have put their mind at ease if it had recorded good things.

Sounds like thy don't trust the other nanny - not suprised if she locked child in kitchen for 45mins

I think as a mum/employer that if you feel the need to record your nanny then they are the wrong nanny as you obv don't trust them

techinally I wouldn't object to having a camera but then I am the same whether MB/db are about and still sit down/ have a cuppa&go on lappy/tell children off etc

I always thought I wouldn't mind cameras and assumed I had them in one house (not UK) and never a problem.

Then in another job there were secret cameras. First became suspicious when the mum would call/leave notes about something I just happened to have been doing at the time/that day e.g. cooking the wrong way (with oil not water), giving a whole avacado instead of half, giving juice alongside a meal that included potato, said she was having 'funny dreams' about this that and the other (even had them in bathroom turned out).

Housekeeer eventually confirmed it. Mb used to play us off each other and try to cause trouble/give reason to tick one of us off to see if we would 'tell' on the other about e.g. throwing an empty dirty bottle away that she had wanted to keep.

I felt every move was watched intensely the whole time I was at work (even if maybe I wasn't) but was never told they were there. I had to just play along with these coinicidences like/in case it wasn't true (some mght have been coincidences). The poor child began to feature less and less in my priorities. It began to be about the way I would wipe a surface etc. or if I'd have my mask on when I had cough, or if the child had socks off.

It got really stressful, they were (I felt) totally abused and tbh think I am still recovering from it. Often think of becoming CM as keep feeling I can never trust there's no cameras/parents, even if they say there aren't any.

My stratergy now is to say if there are cameras I want it in writing and for a specified time period only. Maybe She could suggest a time period e.g. two months.

Are nanny cams really illegal though if nanny doesn't know? It is not in public place.

In the UK it would depend on the circumstances... see Monitoring At Work.

i woud feel very uncomfertable and unnatural with a camera on me all of the time.. a bit odd.. i mean either you trust your childs carer or you dont...

oligo,, how awful. if mum had the time to spend watching you on camera all day then why didnt she just do the bloody child care herself... a bit pervy really..

Oligo crikey - that sounds absolutely barmy - can't believe people would behave like that towards someone they have entrusted with looking after their DC. Weird.

I think it's a very odd idea and would feel really embarrassed explaining to a nanny/CM that I felt the need to video them. Can't really believe it actually happens.

can't believe it either c
hatnamefortonight!! If you employ someone you don't know to look and care after your children all week long and feel the need to install these devices, than surely you should be looking at your judgement!!!!

hmmm. From a quick scan of nannynick's link it looks like secret cameras depend on what is considered private. lunch breaks? Working alone? will read more thoroughly later. Think they are very common in America- in teddies etc.

I left that job very quickly; stayed a bit for the challenge and the money was ridiculously good. Not sure it was about childcare tbh, more control and status. She supposedly worked (left the house) but used to call pretending she was out at work but was actually in her room. Was hard sometimes to tell what was unreasonable-if only I'd had MN. I had friends who were watched over internet too.

Was feeling a bit like I shouldn't say all that personal/private stuff about and employer on here but she was smelly and I feel bit better now.

I believe it depends on the purpose too. In this case it's clearly monitoring the nannies. A standard security system camera wouldn't have the same rules.

Also whilst a nanny is working a private home becomes a workplace and technically subject to all the same rules e.g. the no smoking laws.

There are very, very few circumstances where secret filming is allowed and I don't think the footage can be used in any legal proceedings, so really why would you?

Personnel Today indicates you can monitor but only In the following circumstances:

"There may be exceptional circumstances when covert monitoring in the workplace will be justifiable. Usually, this will be restricted to incidents where there are reasons to suspect criminal activity or extremely serious malpractice. It should only be authorised by senior management, and the monitoring should be strictly targeted. It should also only be carried out for the period of time necessary."

IMO they're on v dodgy ground if they've been videoing both nannies without permission. I suppose there was suspicion of malpractice and one could argue it was targeted so the key will be how long the covert filming was.

But systematic covert monitoring is illegal.

Would be interesting to see whether it would hold up as evidence in case of dismissal too as there does appear to be a precedent.

Apart from the lack of trust i think it makes the nanny to work in a robot-style. By the book and by the rules but less relaxed and probably less fun. (no silly dance around the kitchen table ).

Also if i am going to watch my nanny and dcs on video it will be time consuming, distruction from work let alone stressful and emotional. In which case i better go home.