Should you be able to have privacy at work?

Let me begin by saying that I am a privacy advocate. I am against most camera's big time against red light camera's. But I ask this main question because of a discussion I got in at work of someone wanting camera's at work and wanting things to be recorded. The person used the argument that most people will use, "if you don't have anything to hide then whats the problem" Even though I don't buy into that point, the discussion kind of got me thinking Are afforded privacy at work or should we be afforded privacy at work. I mean obviously retail is kind of excluded from this. and I worked retail before, Its not that bad because the camera's are not trained on you, there at specific points mostly. But should all jobs have camera's watching you? If your a carpenter at a contruction site should you have a camera watching you? If your traveling sales man should you have a camera watching you?

another point I want to raise and ask kind of a double thread here ( are we allowed to do that? I break the mold on some things) Do more camera's make us safer? A news report I heard said that the local bus company here says crime has dropped this past year since the adding of more camera's on the bus.

www.king5.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink">www.king5.com... attle/2015/01/07/metro-transit-crime-statistics/21374215/

While staffing for transit police has remained unchanged since 2008, Maj. Jutilla said increased cameras on buses has helped reduce and prevent crime. More are planned for 2015.

So to bring it all back and sum it all up should are lives be documented from start to finish. To work at work to school at school. We know our privacy is diminishing but the key question for me is do we deserve privacy?

a reply to: American-philosopher

Really it's a company decision.


There is no way around that in the end.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

okay do we deserve privacy once we live home? or is that where it ends?

Considering how many skive on the job .. misuse company equipment .. appropriate company property for their own use/gain .. any boss would be wise to keep an eye on employees ..

what they do on their own time away from the company is their own husiness ..

a reply to: American-philosopher

Again, while I might not agree with it...

It's a checkmate situation...

The streets, the buses, the trains etc all belong to the system...

So they can do what they want with their property.


Don't agree with it, don't see how it can be fought either.

Its the company's decision.

I draw the line firmly at putting cameras in bathrooms ect

But camera on the workshop floor? meh not bothered

You mean like doors on the restrooms ? Yes. Other than that privacy for what?
The boss gets a door on their office. Everyone else needs to be in view of supervisors to make sure they are working.
There are lazy people who would try to get away with doing less while still collecting pay.
Commission paid workers work the hardest. Piecework workers too.
Salary workers are held to production numbers of the hourly and hourly workers can be good or bad.

Cameras help companies protect themselves from fraudulent lawsuits.
I fell on the wet floor and hurt my back! The camera shows you sitting down and then yelling...your fired!

In the broader sense of privacy, yeah. What people do in their private lives shouldn't be anyone's business but theirs. In terms of being on the job and being monitored, no you don't have a right to expect privacy. If where you work issuessyou a computer, phone or any other such device to perform your duties than they have the right to monitor what you are doing with them.

In this age, no employee should have any real expectation of privacy, or that their employer will respect their privacy.

If you are seeking privacy in the workplace, perhaps your need for privacy should be examined?

Reality is that there really is no privacy for people who are not living alone deep in the wild somewhere, and even then expect satellite surveillance.

a reply to: American-philosopher

If it was a significant issues companies would compete by promoting that their privacy policies were more favorable than others.

There is no legal basis to claim privacy at work. In fact, wiretap laws are predicated on whether or not a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. When you go into a company to work, you do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Put it another way. If you hired a maid to clean your house, would the maid have an expectation of privacy while in your house?

You mean like doors on the restrooms ? Yes. Other than that privacy for what?
The boss gets a door on their office. Everyone else needs to be in view of supervisors to make sure they are working.
There are lazy people who would try to get away with doing less while still collecting pay.
Commission paid workers work the hardest. Piecework workers too.
Salary workers are held to production numbers of the hourly and hourly workers can be good or bad.

a reply to: Expat888

so is that it then were just living in a time where trust is at an all time low? I mean because I think your right in a way I did hear a report about the bigger retailers having to deal with loss merchandise from within the company and theft from within kind of at a high.

(but there all other factors that I think play into those bigger retailers as well but good point)

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

Well I don't know if saying to give up is the right way to go about it. if we carry this farther can't we make the argument if you don't have a modicum of privacy you don't have individuality?

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

Well sure I am talking about having a camera trained on you. To me being in full view of everybody is different then having a camera on you.

a reply to: ausername

I don't know I just thought that the best kind of quality of work could be done when people have a certain freedom to create and be themselves in a way. I know even if someone (a human) is monitoring me at work I know I don't work the same as if I am solo. I am like I gotta make sure this is done right I did this did that up wait did I do that?. as opposed to it being just me and know one over my shoulder per say it just flows naturally what I do,.

a reply to: Jamie1

Maybe I could kind of see a case where a maid might say I need everybody out of the house to clean properly. but then you might say that's where a camera come's into play. and that kind of raises another issue of should nanny cams be legal. To not inform someone that there being recorded?? is that legal?

a reply to: American-philosopher

If you are a really good employee, want to get ahead in your career. Maybe being watched at work is an opportunity to show what you are capable of.

Privacy in the workplace doesn't really translate to increased creativity and productivity.

Ever seen how much useless internet activity happens in a workplace, office where employees have that kind of privacy?

a reply to: American-philosopher It's the choice of an employer to have camera's anywhere they like at their business, excluding staff toilets of course. It is the choice of the individual to agree to the working conditions or refuse and find work elsewhere. Employers do not force employees to agree to anything, that is the difference between employment and slavery.
Oh, and if anyone bleats that socio-economic circumstances can create a situation where some individuals feel they would experience greater difficulties leaving a job than agreeing to being filmed while working, that is true in some folks life of course, but it's not any responsibility of the employer. Don't like it, leave

a reply to: ausername

Well sure I do notice that. But I also think there afforded that time in most cases because there is some down time to do that. think a receptionist there might be periods of down time.

But your right I know people that do do some goofing off at work and do that. that's a very valid point.