There has been increased use of email, internet and telephone monitoring by employers in recent years. However, before you can do so, you need to make it absolutely clear to employees that they are being monitored and bear in mind that in an Employment Tribunal, the court will consider whether the employee has enjoyed a “reasonable expectation of privacy.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) states that employers need to have clear policies and procedures in place when it comes to the surveillance of employees and protecting their data. Except in extreme cases, employees must understand that their activities might be monitored.
The ICO is constantly updating its codes of practice to reflect the fact that data is being processed by a variety of devices, and employers should regularly check the ICO website to ensure their own compliance with ICO guidelines on monitoring employees. https://ico.org.uk/.
For more information or to book an HR consultation please contact Karen Scott on 07762 629 448 or get in touch by clicking here.
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