If you have ever excessively worried about being watched at work, please refrain from reading on…that red blinking light might just be what you thought it was.
Daniel Lublin writes in the Metro about privacy in the workplace and explains that “Recent cases suggest that employees are entitled to have some expectation to privacy at work, however, the extent of these privacy rights remains blurred.”
The article uses two examples to illustrate the wide range of privacy expectations at the office.  In the first example, an employee successfully sued McDonalds for performing a credit check without consent.  In the second, courts upheld the resignation of a woman who found a secret camera at work and awarded her damages for wrongful dismissal.  It seems like a pretty straightforward win for the employee, right?  Not quite…in the second case, the judge warned that had there been proper justification for the secret camera, it may have been allowed.
This should serve as a reminder for employees to be mindful of their workplace habits.  Employers have the right to monitor employees, so long as the measures they employ can be justified.  Next time you load your internet browser at work, ask yourself how a printed copy of the history would look on your boss’ desk.