Pennsylvania Consent of Employee to be Monitored and Recorded for Security Purposes Pursuant to Closed Circuit Video Surveillance - CCTV

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Multi-State
Control #:
US-00845BG
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Word; 
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Description

The 4th and 14th amendment provides the constitutional basis for the right of privacy for public employees (e.g., federal, state, county and municipal). However, these amendments do not apply to employees in the private sector. Employee rights in the private sector are covered by states statutes, case law and collective bargaining agreements.


The Federal Wiretapping Act provides that it is unlawful to intercept oral or electronic communications. Both criminal and civil penalties are provided for by this Act. There are two exceptions:


a. An employer can monitor his/her/its telephones in the ordinary course of business through the use of extension telephone; and


b. An employer can monitor employee communications with the employee=s consent. Consent may be established by prior written notice to employees of the employer's monitoring policy. Consent signed by the employee is preferable.


The same principles should apply to video surveillance.

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FAQ

The main purpose of employee monitoring is to collect data on user activity and to monitor certain types of employee behavior, or behavior on the network, that can either put your company at risk or be detrimental to your bottom line.

Employees must be provided with adequate safeguards against employer monitoring and consequences in the event of an infringement or unacceptable behaviour. Also, It is important to have written consent from employees.

An employer can monitor their CCTV cameras from anywhere, but they must adhere to data protection law in doing so. For instance, they must tell employees why they are using cameras, and think about whether there are alternatives that would bring the same results without that level of monitoring.

The legality of recording conversations at work is a grey area, evolving all the time. The Employment Appeals Tribunal has allowed it in some cases but dismissed it in others. It depends on the circumstances of each case and how relevant the covertly recorded evidence might be to a case.

In California, it is a misdemeanor to record a conversation without the consent of all parties to the conversation, which can lead to fines of up to $2,500 and/or imprisonment for up to a year.

Can CCTV be used to monitor staff? CCTV monitoring can be legally used to monitor staff as long as you have made them aware of this in writing and explained the reasons why. It is only acceptable to monitor staff secretly in rare circumstances.

A direct supervisor can determine exactly how an employee's attitude affects both his work performance and the people around him. He can evaluate the employee's disposition on a daily basis and is more privy to changes than those who might not regularly work with the employee.

These methods include employee monitoring software, time clocks, video surveillance, GPS systems and biometric technology.

The key to remember is this: While employers do not have to allow recordings in the workplace, both employees and employers can legally make audio recordings, though with varying degrees of consent required depending on state law.

Is it illegal to record someone at work without their knowledge? The majority of American states allow covert recording, as long as one involved party consents to said recording. For example, if you were to record a conversation between yourself and a coworker, your consent is all that is needed.

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Pennsylvania Consent of Employee to be Monitored and Recorded for Security Purposes Pursuant to Closed Circuit Video Surveillance - CCTV