Contributory factors that influence the use of covert video surveillance in the workplace

by Rob Taylor

The underlying theme that draws together all the chapters presented in this book is that employees, like any other member of society, have an expectation of privacy, particularly in areas designed for privacy. Most employees are honest; however, some do steal, and therefore, employers will occasionally adopt a surreptitious response. Regulation which governs the public agency use of furtive crime detection also respects the privacy of a target under government surveillance. Paradoxically, the private sector appears to contradict this law and continues to practice Covert Video Surveillance (CVS) as it deems fit, often encroaching upon an employee’s privacy. Given that CVS is, by its very nature, cloaked in secrecy, it is not surprising that empirical research within the field is scarce. Therefore, this study examines the opinions of retail loss prevention managers towards their perception of a covert approach to help address the employee theft problem, and their attitudes surrounding the privacy contentions attached to such a secretive technique. In doing so, the study responds to gaps within the field of CVS through providing knowledge about the impact upon employee privacy whilst using CVS within the workplace. Moreover, the research methodology not only details how valid sample data was collected and analysed, but offers a platform from where future study can gather similar accurate data. The evidence shows that employers are either ambivalent or complacent about the legislative requirements regarding the authorisation of CVS. With such an approach proving to be successful, it is no wonder employers will run the risk of violating employee privacy in order to use it. The dissertation will draw to a close by suggesting that legislative reform is required to regulate all private organisations use of CVS. Until then, obtaining board-level approval for its use should be a pre-requisite, therefore, showing greater respect for employee privacy in the workplace.

118 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2017