LRD guides and handbook November 2015

Monitoring and surveillance at work - a practical guide for trade union reps

Introduction

Introduction
 [pages 3-5] (1,290 words)

Traditional forms of workplace monitoring are increasingly being supplemented by surveillance practices which utilise new forms of technology. The ...
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Chapter 1

1. Surveillance and monitoring in practice 
 [ch 1: pages 6-7] (534 words)

The Labour Research Department (LRD) carried out a survey of workplace trade union contacts in 2015, asking them for examples of surveillance and ...
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New techniques
 [ch 1: page 7] (179 words)

The law
 [ch 1: pages 7-8] (117 words)

The ICO Code of Practice 
 [ch 1: pages 8-9] (749 words)

Negotiating workplace policies 
 [ch 1: page 9] (116 words)

Surveillance of trade unionists and blacklisting
 [ch 1: pages 9-10] (734 words)

Chapter 2

2. CCTV cameras and audio recording of workers 
 [ch 2: pages 12-14] (753 words)

The ICO Employment Practices Code states that where employers carry out video and audio monitoring of workers it should, where possible, be targeted ...
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Workplace use of CCTV surveillance
 [ch 2: page 14] (224 words)

CCTV in disciplinary proceedings
 [ch 2: pages 14-15] (512 words)

Trade union responses and agreements on CCTV 
 [ch 2: pages 15-16] (801 words)

Wearable cameras
 [ch 2: pages 16-17] (225 words)

Hidden cameras
 [ch 2: pages 17-18] (641 words)

CCTV and surveillance in schools
 [ch 2: pages 19-20] (950 words)

CCTV in care homes
 [ch 2: page 21] (296 words)

Recording of teaching in schools
 [ch 2: pages 22-23] (553 words)

Recording of lectures in the higher education sector
 [ch 2: pages 23-25] (453 words)

Monitoring extremism
 [ch 2: page 24] (203 words)

Filming or recording by third parties
 [ch 2: pages 25-26] (547 words)

Chapter 3

3. Vehicle tracking
 [ch 3: pages 27-28] (670 words)

The use of cameras in vehicles has now become commonplace. In some cases this involves outward or forward facing cameras, to record any road or ...
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Vehicle camera technology 
 [ch 3: pages 28-29] (524 words)

Vehicle telematics
 [ch 3: pages 29-31] (661 words)

ICO guidance on in-vehicle monitoring
 [ch 3: page 31] (106 words)

Vehicle tracking in practice
 [ch 3: pages 31-32 ] (568 words)

Vehicle tracking in the construction sector
 [ch 3: pages 32-34] (688 words)

Vehicle tracking in the communications sector
 [ch 3: page 34] (287 words)

Chapter 4

4. Tracking and surveillance of individuals
 [ch 4: pages 35-36] (428 words)

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method using radio waves. This most commonly involves storing a serial number or ...
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Wearable computers
 [ch 4: pages 36-38] (1,018 words)

Personal digital assistants
 [ch 4: pages 38-39] (443 words)

Clocking in and entry systems
 [ch 4: page 39] (384 words)

Biometrics — fingerprint, hand and face recognition software 
 [ch 4: page 40-41] (722 words)

Sociometric badges
 [ch 4: pages 40-42] (182 words)

Health monitoring
 [ch 4: pages 42-43] (420 words)

Use of covert surveillance in disciplinary investigations
 [ch 4: page 43] (200 words)

Chapter 5

5. Monitoring in call centres and mystery shoppers
 [ch 5: pages 44-45] (891 words)

Recording and monitoring of telephone calls made and received is now routine in a range of sectors using call centres, including the finance, retail, ...
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Mystery shoppers
 [ch 5: pages 45-46] (308 words)

Mystery shopping in the banking sector
 [ch 5: pages 46-47] (490 words)

Covert recording of staff by mystery shoppers
 [ch 5: pages 47-48] (525 words)

Chapter 6

6. Monitoring electronic communications
 [ch 6: pages 49-50] (673 words)

Employers are under no legal obligation to allow workers to use work phones, email or internet for personal reasons. 
 ...
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Internet use and filter software 
 [ch 6: pages 50-52] (750 words)

Email 
 [ch 6: pages 52-53] (556 words)

Telephone usage
 [ch 6: page 53] (112 words)

Social media
 [ch 6: pages 53-54] (501 words)

Data security in the workplace
 [ch 6: pages 54-56] (557 words)

UNISON guidance on internet, email and social networking 
 [ch 6: pages 56-57] (564 words)

Chapter 7

7. The key laws covering employee monitoring and privacy
 [ch 7: pages 58-59] (617 words)

This Chapter examines the main pieces of legislation designed to protect employee privacy in the UK that might impact on the workplace and employment ...
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Protection of personal information 
 [ch 7: pages 59-61] (1,085 words)

Covert monitoring at work 
 [ch 7: pages 61-66] (1,690 words)

Surveillance evidence in disciplinaries
 [ch 7: pages 66-68] (816 words)

Non-covert monitoring at work
 [ch 7: pages 68-69] (510 words)

Email and telephone usage
 [ch 7: pages 69-70 ] (494 words)

Record keeping
 [ch 7: pages 70-72] (463 words)

Records of disciplinary matters and grievances
 [ch 7: page 72] (140 words)

Making a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR)
 [ch 7: pages 72-73] (404 words)

Remedies under the Data Protection Act 1998
 [ch 7: page 73] (163 words)

Blacklisting and data protection 
 [ch 7: pages 73-74] (538 words)

The ILO Code of Practice for the protection of workers’ personal data 
 [ch 7: page 75] (309 words)

Changes to EU Data Protection Directive and the right to be forgotten
 [ch 7: pages 76-77] (414 words)

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 
 [ch 7: pages 77-78] (370 words)

Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
 [ch 7: page 78] (195 words)

The Investigatory Powers Bill 2015
 [ch 7: pages 78-79] (463 words)

Chapter 8

8. Negotiating a workplace policy 
 [ch 8: pages 80-81] (514 words)

Unions have had some success in preventing more intrusive forms of surveillance. In many sectors however, monitoring of workplace activity using some ...
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Key elements of a policy
 [ch 8: pages 81-83] (711 words)

Privacy impact assessments
 [ch 8: pages 83-84] (395 words)

Recruitment
 [ch 8: pages 84-86] (776 words)

Further information

Further information
 (307 words)

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745, Fax: 01625 ...
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