Biometrics: Legal/Ethical to use in the workplace?

I work as a precision CNC machinist in the tire mold industry. The company I work for does business with the leading tire companies such as Good Year, Firestone, Yokohama, Bridgestone, Michelin, etc.
Simply, I make the molds that they use to make their tires.

There is nothing top secret here, and the biggest "security" concern of ours is to not share blueprints from one tire company to another. Simple as that.

Well, today I come in to work and I am greeted with this:
Compumatic Multi-Bio MB1000 Face Recognition Time Clock




It is a face recognition scanner and thumb print analyzer. It works by either submitting a facial scan, a thumb scan, or both simultaneously.

In all honesty, this is COMPLETE overkill! For years all I had to do was punch my time-card in the clock to clock in/out. Now we have to submit a face scan every single time we come and go. They haven't activated the thumb scan yet, because they said the face scan is good enough. Good enough? It's too much! We don't work for the government, I'm in the private sector. We don't make military components, and we have no weapons or hazardous materials here.


• Is this legal?
• Do I have the legal option to opt-out of these scans?
• How do you guys feel about this?
• Would you submit to this?
• Is this what is to come in all workplaces?

I really have a bad feeling about it, I do not like it, and I feel like it's an invasion of my privacy.

I would say HELL TO THE[snip] NO! Next time you go to work bring a baseball bat with you

reply to post by Sahabi


Wow... just wow. Where abouts do you live/work? That way I can read up on the laws of your country.

It is just amazing how far some companies are going these days. They give the bull excuse that its to stop people signing in other people using the clock in cards.

I wonder what they do with the data they record i.e you photo, thumb print etc. make sure you get a privacy statement before you do anything, and check they dont sell your information to 3rd party companies.

Originally posted by uselesshobo
reply to post by Sahabi

 

make sure you get a privacy statement before you do anything, and check they dont sell your information to 3rd party companies.

My sentiments exactly.

Sure it's legal. You said all you had to do was punch a timeclock before. What you meant to say is that anyone could punch your timeclock, including your buddy, so you could pretend to be there when you weren't. Not that you, personannly, would ever do such a thing, but it IS a gap in security.

Also, there's the matter of unauthorized people getting into your plant. Have you ever heard of disgruntled former employees or boyfriends of plant workers suddenly appearing with a semi-auto at your workplace? I bet if one did get through you would be the first person in line to sue your employer for not protecting you, that is, if you survived.

This has little to do with worrying about your loyalty or intent and has a lot to do with plant security--and yours. If it affronts you, quit. But if you return with a baseball bat, as was suggested by someone else above, you'll know exactly why they installed the system.

reply to post by mrjones7885



That was my third thought, but my fourth was to question it's legality.



reply to post by uselesshobo

I live in Ohio, U.S.A.
In all my life I have never been through anything like this, nor heard of anyone else in the private sector having to do this.

I was actually considering drafting a privacy contract to present to my owner tomorrow. My supervisor told me to come in early tomorrow to get my biometrics loaded into the machine, so I haven't given any scans yet.


reply to post by schuyler


I apologize if I did not explain the scanner better. There are absolutely no contributions to security with this machine. This is not a scanner for security, it is for clock in/out purposes only. It's located deep in the building, it's not needed to get in the building or to open any doors. It does not capture moving images, you have to line up your face, stay still, and wait while it reads you.

Clocking out a friend was a problem a few years ago, but they ended it by making it policy to get your card signed by the supervisor. Plus this is a smaller company, only about 20 employees with day and night shifts combined.

Yes I would work on a privacy statement, and make sure that you READ it before signing it. If you have an iPhone for example that you have sent in to get repaired or have registered with iTunes, the privacy statement saysApple Privacy Policy

Basically..
Even though its a privacy statement it still gives apple the approval of giving out your information to third party companies whom may then.. in turn they may sell it or give it to other companies who will use your name for advertising marketing ect. Just like Facebook.

It's just wrong.

I wouldnt be too worried personally.

Corporate espionage in tyre patterens is real. i saw a documentary on it, weird thing to make a program on though..

Just got a new job here in NC after being laid off for more than a year, and guess what Bio-Handprint to clock In and Out.

I wanted to say hell no, and walk out...but, got to work to pay for my bad desisions I have made over the years.
.