Covert audio devices in the workplace

lovelylovely

I am currently in a junior management position in a shop. The company who runs the shops also runs quite a few others in the country. I worked in a different branch for over a year before I was assigned to a new one 11 months ago.

We experienced several shoplifting incidents in the first few months of being open, so I was delighted to hear we would be receiving CCTV in Februray of this year. I presumed that the cctv would be made available to management to view, if we became suspicious of criminal activity in the unit.

This was not the case. On the morning the CCTV became operational, on arriving into work there were 2 small stickers informing us that images were being recorded for the purposes of staff performance and conduct. We were not informed of this before the CCTV was in operation, and I have been on the Data Protction Commission website where it clearly says we must me informed before any data is recorded.

It also says;

For example, using a CCTV system to constantly monitor employees is highly intrusive and would need to be justified by reference to special circumstances.

We were not made aware of any special circumstances where this would be justified. Just to clarify, there is approx. 10-12 cameras in operation, and we are not a huge shop, we have 8 staff incl management.

This footage is sent directly to our head office, and as far as I am aware there are several people authorised to view it.

My main issue is, however, with audio recording. We were NEVER informed that there was any form of sound on the footage, until we got a complaint from head office in July instructing us to turn down the music as they could not hear a transaction going through on the till. To be honest I thought that maybe this was scare tactics, as I couldn't believe that they would put an audio device in operation without our knowledge.

"Comments" made in the shop since this incident have been brought up by management from head office several times. We still to this day have not been officially informed of any audio recording equipment in the shop, we have no idea if it is located just at the till area or also in other areas, and i have found it extremely hard to work since being told this. I spend my days off dreading going into work and I feel constantly under pressure, having to watch everything I say and do.

Has anybody else ever been treated like this in the past? I really don't think whats going on with the recording equipment is entirely legal, and it is definetly in breach of guidelines. I am just not sure what to do next, I am afraid to say anything to my superiors as I feel they would victimise me and work is already difficult enough.

Spear

Try the Work Problems forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1052

but remember that asking for, or providing legal advice is banned sitewide.