Conflicting messages from the British government have left the issue of workplace surveillance up in the air. Under the new Human Rights Act, workers in the UK are guaranteed a certain amount of privacy in the workplace. However, the Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000 gives employers permission to monitor almost all Internet and e-mail use. To further cloud the issue, Data Protection Commissioner Elizabeth France has warned employers to avoid large-scale surveillance of their employees unless there is a strong reason to do so. The Data Protection Commission is expected to issue a much stricter code of practice. Unions are asking the government and employers to agree on a code. Until the legal questions are settled, law firms are advising employers to write out their Internet and e-mail policy and alert their staff about it, and to use any large-scale surveillance cautiously.
Based on a report from workplacelaw.net.
