Video surveillance

John Duba

When an employer wishes to install video surveillance at the entrance to the building (and possibly other locations in the place at some point) is there an acceptable method and /or policy to include in the employee handbook and inform existing and new employees? Are there any pitfalls or regulations? Does it differ from an open shop as opposed to a shop with a bargaining unit(s)?

Thanks!

JD

Down_the_Middle

Explaining how to build an airplane might be easier, but some things to think about:
* Do you have a state statute that deals with surveillance, employee privacy???
* Does your "need to know" significantly outweigh the employee's reasonable expectation of privacy?
* Monitoring things like work performance, computer files, phone conversations, e-mail are generally accepted practices to be done by the employer---------video surveillance, however takes on a different situation.

Having some experience in this area, I'd suggest putting this practice in a policy format, announcing it in advance to employees and apply the policy consistently and with reasonableness. Short circuiting any of these steps is what we all watch on 60 Minutes. I've used video surveillance at 2 previous employers and hindsight now tells me it was more of an intrusion than was necessary and was not as necessary as initially thought.