Law regarding CCTV at work

[Pizzalover1]

Morning all just looking for some advice please. In my place of work they have CCTV watching everything and according to the staff handbook it's for health and safety and security purposes,
however over the past few weeks there is this manager who likes to sit in front of the computer and watch to see if people are working and not talking. Is this allowed?

 

[nheather]

Depends on what signage is displayed, what it is used for and who can access the video.

Can easily be in breach of the Data Protection Act if not administered very carefully.

Data protection and your business: Using CCTV - GOV.UK

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[Pizzalover1]

Depends on what signage is displayed, what it is used for and who can access the video.

Can easily be in breach of the Data Protection Act if not administered very carefully.

Data protection and your business: Using CCTV - GOV.UK

Cheers,

Nigel

Hi thanks for getting back to me. There is no signage, it's used for health and safety basically if someone has an accident they will check to see who's fault it is. Also it's used to stop theft of stock. Only the managers on each section have access

 

[Koeman2021]

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

 

[nheather]

Hi thanks for getting back to me. There is no signage, it's used for health and safety basically if someone has an accident they will check to see who's fault it is. Also it's used to stop theft of stock. Only the managers on each section have access

There are no signs but clearly you know about the CCTV and its purpose - how are the employees being informed?

And how would new employees and visitors know about them?

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[True Romance]

As long as employees are notified that there is CCTV in operation there is not much you can do. I've had to put CCTV in my work area due to the high number of items/tools going missing but also for any investigation work. Recently had a allegation of a guy not doing his job correctly. When CCTV was checked the guy in question was doing the job to the book and the complainant was dealt with via a disciplinary for false allegations so can work to protect employees.

 

[nheather]

As long as employees are notified that there is CCTV in operation there is not much you can do. I've had to put CCTV in my work area due to the high number of items/tools going missing but also for any investigation work. Recently had a allegation of a guy not doing his job correctly. When CCTV was checked the guy in question was doing the job to the book and the complainant was dealt with via a disciplinary for false allegations so can work to protect employees.

Agreed - you need to ensure that anyone being filmed is aware, and that includes new starters and visitors and that is why signage is usually the easiest way to go.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[Pizzalover1]

There are no signs but clearly you know about the CCTV and its purpose - how are the employees being informed?

And how would new employees and visitors know about them?

Cheers,

Nigel

Nope no signs and everyone is told in the induction and staff handbooks. Not sure about visitors don't have many on night's

 

[Pizzalover1]

As long as employees are notified that there is CCTV in operation there is not much you can do. I've had to put CCTV in my work area due to the high number of items/tools going missing but also for any investigation work. Recently had a allegation of a guy not doing his job correctly. When CCTV was checked the guy in question was doing the job to the book and the complainant was dealt with via a disciplinary for false allegations so can work to protect employees.

I don't have a issue with the CCTV and I understand it's there to prevent theft of stock and health and safety, however the issue we have is that a manager will just sit there watching us and when he's seen people talking he would come into the room and just stand there.

 

[Spendy26]

Why would this be an issue? If your doing your job as you should who cares if your being filmed or monitored? Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

 

[Pizzalover1]

Why would this be an issue? If your doing your job as you should who cares if your being filmed or monitored? Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

Because like I said we are told the cameras are there for security and health and safety. All I wanted to know was this legal for them to just sit there and watch people because they don't like people talking

 

[Delvey]

When I worked in the NHS Unison would only allow CCTV to be used in cases against staff for theft or crime. Anything else and they discounted it

 

[Veni Vidi Vici]

Sounds like your manager has a good excuse to sit and do nothing all day to me.

 

[imightbewrong]

At a huge company here (office based). There are cameras dotted about (ceiling domes). I don't remember seeing any signs or being told about them - never thought about it really.

 

[Wahreo]

I had a customer film me at work. It was on an en suite bathroom and there was a camera in the bedroom.

She mentioned it by saying 'I saw you had a busy day'

Next day I thought Sod this and put a dust sheet over the camera which was actually her iPad. If I popped out I took off the dust sheet.

She didn't even mention it.

 

[Veni Vidi Vici]

I had a customer film me at work. It was on an en suite bathroom and there was a camera in the bedroom.

She mentioned it by saying 'I saw you had a busy day'

Next day I thought Sod this and put a dust sheet over the camera which was actually her iPad. If I popped out I took off the dust sheet.

She didn't even mention it.

Whats the law on that then? I guess as its her home she can film what she likes but wouldn't you need to inform someone beforehand that they are on camera and being filmed whilst working?

 

[BobBob21]

Data privacy laws are not as strict on private individuals as they are on businesses - if not you'd have to blur the faces of all the other tourists you capture in your holiday snaps before sharing them with anyone else.

Find it a little odd that the OP has no issues being filmed in case they take a £5 widget but has an issue with being filmed claiming £10 salary when all they did was chat. Both really are misappropriation.

 

[Wahreo]

Whats the law on that then? I guess as its her home she can film what she likes but wouldn't you need to inform someone beforehand that they are on camera and being filmed whilst working?

No idea what the law is but there's no way I want to be filmed all day at work.

 

[Deleted member 51156]

No idea what the law is but there's no way I want to be filmed all day at work.

I'd have put a gimp mask on..
In fact I would have walked and not gone back, rude.

 

[marksovereign]

I'm not sure there are any da protection issues here, the employer is recording their employees working , what data protection issues are there when employees are contracted to work in an environment that they know has CCTV. They certainly don't have to ask their employees permission to record them. You are forgetting that employers have the right to ensure security of their premises and stock and staff. If you don't like it you can always vote with your feet!

 

[imightbewrong]

Presumably increasingly more households have external and internal cctv now? Tradesmen must be being filmed all the time no?

 

[wilbanat]

Go to the manager and ask to see what is recorded of yourself and why it is there. They have to show you.
You can't really stop it, but it can destroy the trust in the work place if abused.

 

[Veni Vidi Vici]

No idea what the law is but there's no way I want to be filmed all day at work.

I agree, I would have thought they would need to inform you before you start, you could be having a private phone call which you wouldn't do if you knew you were being recorded.

 

[nheather]

I'm not sure there are any da protection issues here, the employer is recording their employees working , what data protection issues are there when employees are contracted to work in an environment that they know has CCTV. They certainly don't have to ask their employees permission to record them. You are forgetting that employers have the right to ensure security of their premises and stock and staff. If you don't like it you can always vote with your feet!

There certainly are, have to do mandatory training every few years on this (and dealing with fires, ofiuce safety etc.).

There is no problem have the cameras, if those filmed are aware and that it is accessed and used by the appropriate people.

The appropriate person might depend on the size of the company, but in a medium to large size company you expect this to be the security and/or safety officer, not just a manger. Nor would you expect them to be monitoring all the time but something to be accessed to review if there has been a breach of safety or security. I don't know the company in particular but a manager staring at them all day does sound like a breach of intended purpose.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[ThuGLy]

Being monitored at work: workers' rights: Email, CCTV and other monitoring - GOV.UK

What does it say in your handbook about the cctv?