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big shaun · May 14, 2009, 01:15 PM

Hi all where I work they have just built a new workshop for repairing vehicles, they have put up many cameras , but the one I need to know about is they have put one up in our mess (tea) room, can they do that or is it a invasion of our privacy?

Justwantfair · May 14, 2009, 01:26 PM

Do you own the business?

If it is the 'break room' that they supply, how is that your property?

The only problem I see is if they install them in the bathrooms.

Stratmando · May 14, 2009, 01:30 PM

Probably, The owners may have had bad experiences, and trying to protect themselves.
Just try not to scratch yourself or anything you don't want to see on the Internet, or in court.

JBeaucaire · May 14, 2009, 02:30 PM

Privacy is what you do in the bathroom or at home (doors closed, blinds drawn, computers off). Nothing else is private. If you step out into the world, you're in public.

Everyone needs to grab a hold of that reality...

Krazi · May 14, 2009, 02:48 PM

What does invasion of privacy mean?

What does invasion of privacy mean?

Invasion of privacy wasn't "invented" as a legal concept until the 20th Century. The human urge to nose into other people's business is hardly new -- but it took the wife of a famous judge to turn it into a legal issue. It seems that the judge's wife was upset because a journalist had been snooping at a private party. When the judge's wife complained, he told her there were no laws against snooping. Later, after thinking about it, the judge wrote an article on the "right to privacy" and from that developed a series of rules.

The right to privacy refers to your right to be left alone. There are several different ways a person's right to privacy can be invaded. The most common privacy invasions recognized by law are as follows:

False Light. This type of invasion of privacy occurs when an individual is falsely portrayed in a highly offensive manner -- for example, when the photograph of a man who has never committed a crime is posted on the "America's Most Wanted" website.

Disclosure of Private Facts. This type of invasion occurs when private or embarrassing facts are revealed about an individual without relation to a legitimate public concern. For example, let's say that a man who had served time for a robbery 20 years earlier rehabilitated himself and is now a pastor. Publication of the facts of the 20-year old robbery would be an invasion of privacy unless there was a related public interest -- for example, the pastor was again arrested for a crime.

Intrusion. This is where someone intrudes upon a person in a situation in which that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy -- for example, by spying on the person at home, secretly eavesdropping on telephone conversations, or opening the person's mail.

Every state has its own set of rules for invasion of privacy. You may have to do some further research to determine whether a specific act constitutes an invasion of privacy in your state. (Nolo's Legal Research area can take you to your state's laws.) If your privacy has been invaded, talk to your office supervisor or human resources department -- neither one will want a lawsuit from you, and should take steps to stop the nosiness.

To learn more about your right to privacy in the workplace, check out Your Rights in the Workplace, by Barbara Kate Repa (Nolo).

Learn more about Ensuring Privacy in the Workplace .

big shaun · May 15, 2009, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Justwantfair

Do you own the business?

If it is the 'break room' that they supply, how is that your property?

The only problem I see is if they install them in the bathrooms.

It is not my business ,its where I work,and its where we all sit to have our lunch etc. I just don't think its right that they can do this what would the gain from it? And is it a invasion of my privacy? I need to know how the law stands with this.

spitvenom · May 15, 2009, 11:46 AM

It is not an invasion of privacy. It is their property and they can basically put cameras anywhere they want except restroom.

spitvenom · May 15, 2009, 11:47 AM

Big you wonder what they have to gain from this. I am wondering what do you think you are losing from this?

big shaun · May 15, 2009, 11:48 AM

Whether you call a restroom a tea or lunch room or not?

big shaun · May 15, 2009, 11:49 AM

I just don't like the idea of them watching all of us eating our lunch etc

Justwantfair · May 15, 2009, 11:55 AM

You really think they care to go back and watch you eat lunch?

What are you doing in the breakroom that you worry about?

They are protecting their property and probably people's unattended property for tampering i.e. lunches. Maybe even monitoring extended lunches/breaks.

This is not an invasion of privacy, they are protecting you, more then they are hurting you.

spitvenom · May 15, 2009, 11:59 AM

A restroom is a bath room sorry about that.

JBeaucaire · May 15, 2009, 01:50 PM

Cameras in the lunchroom, or any where, are mostly used for REVIEW when something has gone wrong. Few companies have the $$ to pay someone to sit and watch all the camera feeds they have recording.

If something improper WERE to happen in the lunchroom, you are now protected from someone being able to simply say "that didn't happen". The camera recordings would be REVIEWED and the truth known, issue resolved.

Not liking something doesn't even begin to make it improper or wrong. It just means you don't like it.