Most of these companies are also doing the right thing by telling their employees that they are being monitored, says Eric Greenberg, director of management studies at the AMA in New York City. Letting your employees know what you're up to is crucial and could keep you out of the courtroom. Put your workplace monitoring policy in writing, distribute it and ask employees to sign a consent decree once they've seen it. If you feel sheepish about monitoring your staff, don't. Furthermore, employees have no reasonable assumption of privacy in the workplace.
Monitoring can be a safety issue.
Cameras can prevent violent situations from escalating, if someone is accosted or robbed, and their mere presence might scare off an intruder, adds Karpeles. Monitoring is also a valuable management tool, says Greenberg. There's also the issue of legal compliance. In financial services and other businesses, both the company and consumer require some level of legal protection. 2001 Time Inc. All rights reserved.