In this Employee Breakroom, no work is performed and there is no merchandise that can be stolen. This is where employees take their "10 minute breaks" and lunches.
I believe this is an invasion of privacy and disrespectful.
I am told it is legal.
Any insight on this issue would be appreciated.
2007-09-20 15:12:50 · 17 answers · asked by Richard V 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I agree with you, and I have no idea why it would be legal.
2007-09-20 15:15:31 · answer #1 · answered by Sam 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is legal. The break room is the property of the employer. The employer has a right to monitor their own propery, with the exception of a public lavatory or a dressing room.
Consider a scenario where one employee claimed that they were physically assaulted or sexually harrassed by another employee, and wanted to sue the employer. The employer could be held responsible for what happens in the breakroom. They should have a right to monitor what goes on in there.
2007-09-20 15:24:36 · answer #2 · answered by Dale G 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends where you are. Law is different in every jurisdiction. In Canada, for instance, surveillance is OK as long as it is reasonable according to some sort of community standard. See http://www.stmarys.ca/academic/sobey/workplacereview/sept2004/VideoSurveillance.pdf. Means, basically, if other similarly situated employers also survey employees this way, it's OK. Surveillance is eithical if employer has reason to believe employees are stealing or otherwise engaged in criminal activity for which employer might be held liable both criminally (charges, jail) and civilly (for money dmgs).
The question in these circs is whether the harm to you as employees is overborne by employer's risk.
Best advice: Keep your public (work) life far away from your private (you at home or away from work) life. See work pals OUTSIDE the workplace ... if you must.
2007-09-20 15:29:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, they may want you to believe it is legal, but to really know I think I would have someone who knows employment work ethics, and the laws that apply to them. Now as far as being ethical I would say not, perhaps you and your fellow employees should install a video camera in your employers office and see how they like it.
2007-09-20 15:29:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In a break room, it is totally legal, and for the most part ethical, because they have the right to monitor an employee while they are on company property and time. It could be too many employees are abusing their break times, (staying in the break area too long), which means they are wasting company money, or stealing from the company.
2007-09-20 15:22:08 · answer #5 · answered by julvrug 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If I were you I might casually ask my boss why there's a camera in there anyway. Maybe it's just there so if something happens (like somebody steals the coffee pot, writes on the wall, or comes in and finds the non-smoking area reeking of cigarette smoke) they can rewind a tape and find out who did it. Or maybe people had been doing that kind of stuff in the past and they got fed up and put in a camera to discourage it. Maybe if you find out they're actually not watching all the time and/or there's a sensible reason, you won't feel as harrassed by it.
2007-09-20 15:29:36 · answer #6 · answered by Ambivalence 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
LEGAL and Ethical......
You leave the 'privacy' at the door when you enter the employers property, for your work shift.
The only place that deserves privacy is a restroom stall.
Besides, the break room for ten minutes needs to be monitored for those that think they deserve 15.
2007-09-20 15:31:48 · answer #7 · answered by Rudy J 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is an area of common occupation and belongs to the employer and there is no reasonable expectation of privacy (unlike the employee's bathroom). Since such is the case it is perfectly legal.
2007-09-20 15:17:28 · answer #8 · answered by malter 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
100% legal.
It is a common area with no expectation of privacy.
What are you hiding? If all you are doing is taking a break, why are you worried about being watched.
Why would this be an ethical debate?
2007-09-20 15:23:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You must think that you are an employee. They pay you to work there , everything belongs to them including the service you give in exchange for a salary. Basically you have no say if they monitor employees in a break room , monitor emails or recorded phone calls, on their phones.
2007-09-20 15:20:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
The employer owns the break room, they can do what they want with it. In addition, even while on a break, employees are at work. Finally, if you are worried about it, then you must be doing something that you don't want to be seen...
If you don't like it, quit.
2007-09-20 15:16:50 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋