Due to some recent thefts at work, my manager purchased a couple of those small cameras that you see in all those friggin pop-up ads (yes, the ones marketed towards perverts).  Well, he successfully captured on video a member of our elite security force taking some change out of his desk drawer and putting it in his pocket!

We used to have security in my company that was comprised of union members.  These guys went out of their way to know peoples names and faces, as well as learn the everyday goings on of our company - because really, that's the best way to get the job done with a minimum of fuss, right?  Unfortunately the shortsighted greed mongers that make up our so-called "leadership" discovered they could save pennies worth of man-hours by kicking the old union boys and girls to the curb and contracting out the service to a nationally known security provider.  Since they are a well known security service provider, I don't want to name names (it's [red][size=5][u]Wackenhut[/red][/u][/size=5]!).

So now we've got security guards that sit behind desks playing solitaire on the computer, watching miniature TVs instead of vehicles at the entrance gates, and funniest of all, for some reason they allow their people to wear back-packs while roving the building! (but hey, at least they were able to lay-off some more union people before Christmas)  Oh yeah, and they're also stealing digital cameras, laptop computers, and anything else they can get away with (I'd be tempted to too if I was getting paid shit come to think of it).

Anyway, now my manager is all geeked up and proud of himself that he was able to get somebody fired (or so he was told, the thief probably got transferred to some other unsuspecting company).  But what I'm afraid of is that he's going to take this to the extreme and start putting cameras everywhere.  I've already warned him that if I find a "secret" camera in cubicle that I probably won't be able to stop myself from strangling him with it's cord in front of his own family, but he probably thinks I'm just kidding around.

So - what can I do?  What degree of privacy can one expect or demand at their jobs?  [b]How would you feel one day if you came into work and found out that they're installing hidden surveillance equipment?  All for your own good of course…[/b]

Had that where I work for years.  Believe it or not it's pretty easy to learn to deal with it, just drop the give-a-fuck factor a little closer to zero.  Trust is out the window, however.  Company's loss, but fuck 'em.  People will rise or sink to your level of expectations, I've always said.  You (individual or corporation) reap what you sow.

-Eric

A camera could be anywhere. If the tec that is installing the camera knows what he is doing, you will never see it. About the only place off limits for a company to use surveilance cameras is in a restroom.

I know how you feel, my shop has a few cameras on the walls facing the work bays but at least they are not hidden. It kinda bothers me but since we are real busy I often forget about them. However, when I do notice them I usually walk up to the lens to give my boss the finger up close and I might also make a few comments in case they have sound too. My boss is really cool but I still don't like it, if it were at any other shop I would quit. One thing you can do is go to Radio Shack and get one of those gadgets that detect hidden cameras in the area. They only cost around $30 but I can't tell you how they work cause I never tried one.

Probably nothing unless you find one in a restroom. I guess I'm lucky since I work outside(for a railroad) but our management is not beyond hiding in the weeds with binocs and cameras. I'm a union man myself and I know how you feel about job loss.

I worked in an office where a camera had been installed in the non-secure part of the building.  The program securuty officer had not been informed about the installation.  It was pretty cool when he just grabbed the whole mess, wire bundle, camera and all, and yanked it out of the ceiling.

We are fairly sure that most of the work areas in our plant and offices are at minimum bugged for audio, but I haven't found anything. I don know they use video setups when they want to catch someone using equipment such as copiers for their outside businesses.  Someone gets caught at least once a year.

I also railroad. I love the work more than anything I've ever done. And I've done alot in 41 years. I've never hated a company so bad though. We voted in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers a couple years ago, the first time I've ever worked Union. The BLE was the only defense we had. Just recently, hidden cameras started turning up. Just when I thought I couldn't hate the company any worse...

They pretty much can do what ever they want.  It sux.

The Home Depot store where I worked had the camera screens and video tape machines behind the customer service counter.
There were three cameras that could swivel 360 degrees, the rest were fixed.
I worked hardware and there was a fixed one in my section. I always made sure I was facing the camera when I picked my nose, scratched my balls or ass, or lifted my leg to blow ass.
The 360 degree cameras were used to watch the girls.
During the time while I was working there a customer climbed up on the shelving and stole one of the cameras. The loss prevention guy took a lot of shit over that one.
In that store only three cameras were taped, the one at the front door, the one over the registers and the one at the back loading dock door.

As another railroader chiming in, I'm also subject to constant visual, video, audio, and various other means of electronic monitoring/surveillance nearly all the time while I am at work. The management where I work has even been known to sit on the tops of buildings adjoining our workplaces and observe us with night vision devices. Most Class 1 railroads also have their own police forces who continually monitor the operations with various surveillance tools. Federal law also requires that we be subject to random breathalzer and urinalysis tests to ensure railroad employees are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I've just gotten used to it and it's really no big deal. The way I look at it, if you play be their rules then you have nothing to worry about.

Locobob, I thought you were the one who left CSX to go back to work for the IRR. Things aren't good on the shortline these days? Are you guys using remote control locomotives yet? I just went through the training last month and obtained my operator's certificate.

Work in the tech industry here, and we have cameras. Some are hidden, and others are out in the open. I think it is all because some expensive sun machines were stolen and no one was caught. There is quit a bit of valuable equipment in our building so I can understand. I figure if they don't like what I'm doing they will tell me, but it is their place so who am I to tell them what to do. I am going to set up survailance in my home when I get all my AV set up this year...most will be hidden, and I don't think the bathroom will be off limits since the wife has some hot friends!!!

Hmmmm, guess I'd better quit pissing in the coffee pot.

We have the secret "air freshner" cam.  Its so obvious that its a camera.  I'm make sure that I pick my nose while in front of it.

ha!

[:D]

Left CSX back in May, '97. Problem is, CSX now owns 89% of the IRR. This company is so management topheavy it's gonna fall over.
As far as the remotes, our management pushes them on other railroads. I trained on one for a week a couple years ago. Never again. Took twice as long to do anything (if done safely) and had to walk twice as much. I'm glad to see cities banning their use. Not only that, but there is an engineer out there not working for every remote in use.

Sure wish I'd been born rich instead of handsome [;D] I sure wouldn't railroad.

Yeah, I'm not real keen on the RCLs, either.As you mentioned, they really slow things down. On a really good day, we might half the work we would with an engineer. And at the relatively small yard I work in they call 2 or 3 extra switches every day just to keep up with the work load. I wish I could see some honest financial numbers, because remotes have to be costing them a fortune. But even as ineffecient, unproductive, and costly as the remotes are, the BNSF appears to be committed to them.

As far as railroading goes, I really enjoy it. Sure, I have to roll with the punches and new technology, but for the most part I like what I do and look forward to going to work every day. If I was born rich, I'd hope it was rich enough to buy and operate my own shortline or regional.

I'm an assistant manager at a movie theatre, and we just installed a camera when we realized stock was consistently missing overnight. The camera records 24 hours, and although I can watch the staff, I leave the monitor off unless I need to view the concession stand for a line of customers. This is so I can go out and assist the staff to clear the line. The only time I view the tape is when there is a descrepancy in stock, and I view it on fast forward and watch the particular spot I'm interested in. The recording area is limited to the key points from which stock has been missing. Most of the time, I am on camera too and I often forget that it is there. It's dreadfully boring and time consuming to watch 12 hours of employees working - even when it fast forwards 1 min per second. I understand the employees feel they are being watched, but from an employer's point of view....we are only interested in finding the cause of the descrepancies, and we utilize the tapes to find and control theft. There are limited ways to pinpoint a theif without subjecting ourselves to a lawsuit. And even then, the only accusation we can make is "mishandling."

Drop by your local post office and ask the clerk about the inspector tunnels and surveillance windows. Of course all newly built PO have video surveillance and all the larger old ones have the tunnels. And they use dummy cameras too, they give a false sense of security to the thieves who just relocate to avoid the obvious cameras.
I worked in a place that had an obvious camera. Everyone knew about it. But when we traced the cable we found a second cable running into the same area. Never did locate that camera but had a good idea of where it should have been.