Can managers put up cameras singling out one employee in the office
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can managers put up cameras singling out one employee in the office
I have worked for a small air conditioning company for 12 years. The owner recently died, and the manager is taking over the office working alongside with the wife of the owner. He has recently put up security cameras in the back to see the trucks , and in the front to see the front door of the office, but has installed 2 cameras inside the office both pointing at my desk. They cover all of my work area and are recording me the entire time I’m there. The other employee does not have a camera on her. I feel like my every move is recorded, and I makes me so anxious and creeped out, that I don’t even want to go to work anymore. Is it fair for employers to single out one employee in the office, when they say they’re doing it
for security reasons and not do it with any of the other employees?
Asked on February 8, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
So long as you have been notified of the taping then it is not illegal. An employer has a legitimate business interest in such action for security purposes. If it chooses to just subject 1 employee to this scrutiny is not against the law, again so long as the employee is made aware that they are being taped. This is true unless this action is some way constitutes a form of legally actionable discrimination or violates the terms of a union agreement/employment contract. The fact is that in an "at will" employment relationship, a company can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit and deems necessary. Accordingly, you can either accept the situation, complain but risk termination, or quit.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.