17 February 2011

Your boss now has to tell you how much they're snooping.

| johnboy
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The Greens’ Amanda Bresnan is letting us all know that she’s succeeded in getting the Workplace Privacy Bill 2010 through the Legislative Assembly:

“Under this legislation, employers are required to tell employees what kind of surveillance they are under, what the surveillance is for and are not able to use or disclose surveillance records for unrelated purposes,” Ms Bresnan said.

“This legislation provides a framework for legal surveillance of workers by the majority of responsible employers, while providing protection for workers against unreasonable invasions of privacy at work by the few employers who do not respect their workers privacy rights.”

“This Bill will immediately prohibit surveillance of areas with high expectations of privacy, such as bathrooms, change rooms and prayer rooms.”

“After a 6 month transition period, the Bill will require employers to notify their employees of what surveillance is being conducted in the workplace and for what purpose.”

“Also after 6 months, covert surveillance of workers will only be able to take place after an application to the Magistrates Court that can show reasonable suspicion that unlawful activity has taken place. The surveillance will then be conducted by an independent surveillance supervisor to protect the privacy of workers.

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Davo111 said :

Id just return the letter, with a note saying its not anonymous so you refuse to do it. If they contact you, they’ve proved that it isnt anonymous.

He He. Alternately, remove all markings which may be used to identify you and send back in a plain envelope. Although unless you get all other people to do the same, they’ll know it was you…

Pork Hunt said :

This probably doesn’t come under surveillance as such but the company I work for has an annual survey which is “compulsory”.

Id just return the letter, with a note saying its not anonymous so you refuse to do it. If they contact you, they’ve proved that it isnt anonymous.

This probably doesn’t come under surveillance as such but the company I work for has an annual survey which is “compulsory”.
They claim that it’s “anonymous” but then give it to you in an envelope with the return address on it which has ones initials on it.
When you go to do the survey, ones initials are on the booklet itself.
Then you start the survey only to find your work group number (eg Sydney, Tasmania etc.) written inside.
Not too hard to work out who made what comments from that is it?

Gungahlin Al12:54 pm 17 Feb 11

Seems people are missing the point – that such surveillance is already happening.

A mate worked for a company that sold software to various government and commercial workplaces here in Canberra that did just that – snooped. From what you are surfing to what you are printing.

So it seems this is snesible legislation that merely requires your employer to tell you the types of snooping that they do undertake.

screaming banshee11:56 am 17 Feb 11

“conducted by an independent surveillance supervisor”

So I guess we’ll see a lot of surveillance companies pop up soon

i wonder what their definition of “covert surveillance” is, and whether or not a security camera is covert.

What a load of s***, and will be completely unworkable if the ACT Mags Court is involved

I wonder if Katy will install such devices at the Hospital to monitor the bullying. Then again, as it does not exist…

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