Incorrect monitoring in the workplace can quickly sour employer-staff relationships
HUMAN RESOURCES departments are facing increased demands to protect employee privacy in an era of ever more surveillance in the workplace.
While it is generally accepted that staff should be monitored to ensure that company time and facilities are not habitually misused, employers are now able to gather and store vast quantities of information about daily work activities and may run the risk of abusing their staff's basic right to privacy.
Certain measures, such as the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras or the tracking of internet usage, may be designed to enhance security, ensure productivity and prevent inappropriate behaviour, but have come to be seen by many employees simply as a way for Big Brother to watch over everything.
To help HR departments tackle the issue, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCO) has released a set of guidelines to encourage best practices in monitoring employees and handling the data collected in these circumstances. Initially a statutory Code of Practice was planned, but strong opposition from Hong Kong employers to the draft code published in March 2002 led the PCO to decide on non-binding guidelines.
These do not encourage the use of surveillance in the workplace and provide a lengthy list of points to consider before taking such a step. Employers are advised to assess carefully whether monitoring is appropriate for their business and examine viable alternatives. They are told to reconsider their reasons for monitoring staff, the risks they seek to manage, and how successfully those risks will be addressed. It is made clear they must be able to justify the existence of risks and satisfy employees that reasons for monitoring are valid and related to business needs.