The Strasbourg Court: covert surveillance of an employee in a shop is an invasion of their privacy. The European Court of Human Rights ruled on 9 January that the surveillance of shop assistants in a Spanish supermarket without them knowing was a violation of their privacy rights (respect for private life). The applicants were five former employees of a Spanish supermarket who complained against covert surveillance of their work places by way of a hidden camera. This solution was used by the employer after revealing a number of irregularities between cash and inventory balances in the shop. The employer installed both visible and invisible cameras of which the employees were given no notice. All the employees suspected of theft were called to see the manager, who showed them video record of the hidden cameras. Having been caught stealing, they were dismissed on a disciplinary basis. For the full text of the judgment, see here.
06.03.2018