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CCTV for monitoring staff?

Started by bornfree, 10-10-20, 02:16AM

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bornfree

Can anyone point me in the direction of the CCTV policy please. Recently a manager accessed it to see how long a colleague had taken for his break and consequently had a Lets Talk meeting.
Colleague had stopped on way to his break to help another colleague out for 30 minutes and delayed starting his break. Manager watched CCTV and says his break started when he left the shop floor and therefore he took an hour instead of 30 minutes. This seems wrong to me both from accessing CCTV for 'proof' and considering helping colleague out as part of a break.
Any advice I can give to my colleague?

Daredevil

The colleague should have A: told their manager they were helping someone else B: if they have set times to go then should have gone C: Ask the manager to view the footage of them helping someone else .Plus the fact of why would you leave your own job to go help some one else instead of having your break.

Katarn2000

The advice to the colleague is to move on and in future check with the manager before doing something like that again. A let's talk isn't a punishment so there is no problem here.

lucgeo

#3
Tell your colleague to put in a greivance against that manager for gross misconduct. CCTV monitoring of staff is for the sole purpose of security or H&S concerns, (hub). It is not a managers spy in the sky, and cannot be used to monitor staff productivity or timings.

Misuse of CCTV staff monitoring, if reported to the ?relevant authority? ( name escapes me ) carries a huge fine which runs into thousands.

Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

lucgeo

Quote from: Daredevil on 10-10-20, 06:08AM
The colleague should have A: told their manager they were helping someone else B: if they have set times to go then should have gone C: Ask the manager to view the footage of them helping someone else .Plus the fact of why would you leave your own job to go help some one else instead of having your break.

A: the manager only had to ask the colleague they helped, if they did support their colleague when asked ( core value)
B: Is a colleague requesting help to be ignored then? " one team...the Tesco team"
C:   8-) see previous post  8-)...why wouldn't you help someone else if asked?? They wouldn't ask if they weren't in need of help would they ???
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

Katarn2000

Probs isn't misuse if the manager suspected the colleague was not following the break entitlement.  The CCTV use statement thing does say one of the uses is to ensure policies are followed.

lucgeo

It is misuse...regardless of the managers suspicion. Should the manager suspect break entitlement abuse, they have to...err...MANAGE that suspected abuse (clue's in the title)
That CANNOT use CCTV surveillance solely to monitor staff productivity.
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

Katarn2000

It's not productivity though really is it. More along the lines of misconduct rather than job performance which would be productivity.

NightAndDay

Wouldn't the hub pick up on things like that? I'd be concerned if a manager has enough free time to investigate a colleague that closely, if this is in superstore that would be indicative of where the next round of cuts needs to happen.

lucgeo

#9
CCTV monitoring should only be used where there is a suspected breach of security or H&S. It is not for ongoing monitoring of staff during their shift.

If staff are standing chatting, sneaking out for a crafty fag, or suspected of taking longer on breaks, then it has to be MANAGED, using all their management skills...having a quiet word, a quick " don't let me catch you again!" etc...If a manager can then prove, using their own ongoing management observation, that a colleague is continually taking longer breaks, then this can be brought in as a disciplinary, for "stealing company time" which is gross misconduct, ONLY THEN can the CCTV be looked at for the stated dates/times to confirm the accusation of misconduct.
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

dotnochance

CCTV use is very strict, managers are not allowed to monitor performance, also I’m pretty sure a senior manager has to sign off on it first, op don’t listen rmt o the people that say this isn’t a problem, it most certainly is

lucgeo

 8-) thanks  8-)

My omission in using the term performance alongside productivity, may have been misleading...appreciate the clarification  :thumbup:
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

bornfree

Thank you all. I should have said colleague was helping a fellow team member with a job they had joint responsibility for. No set break times so that wasn't the issue either. Using CCTV footage definitely sounds wrong from what Lucgeo has said. I will suggest colleague takes it further with senior management and a grievance.

lucgeo

 8-) good grief  :o

That manager is well out of order. Checking CCTV in the first place, then giving a "let's talk", accusing a colleague of taking a longer break, while that colleague was in fact doing a routine they are paid to perform and have a responsibility to complete.

Shop floor workers don't have set time breaks, like checkouts. They are, for the most, left to fit in their breaks with their routines...only if a colleague was deliberately stalling a break to finish earlier, continually taking it after the 4 hour limit or to deliberately evade a team rumble would it need to be managed.

My hunch is that this manager wanted to delegate a task to your colleague, and was told that they were on/due a 30 min break...the manager then saw their arse?  :-X
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

NightAndDay

Do lets talks still have to be signed by the person it's given to? If false accusations make up the body of the lets talk, then surely the employee can refuse to sign because they disagree with what has been said? What would happen in that instance?

Scotia1812

#15
Sorry this is totally off topic, can’t find way to post new topic.

Does anyone know policy for drivers who go over 6 points? Can’t find information anywhere.

[mod]Ref: starting new topic. Please read VLH Supporter Benefits[/mod]

[gmod]Look for more suitable topic, possibly in dot com section. [/gmod]

gaz123

It begs the question, if the employee stopped on the way to their break to spend half an hour assisting a colleague who clearly needed help, why didn't the manager help that colleague rather than hiding away watching their employees on CCTV? Tells you all you need to know about their style of 'management', I suspect. (Also, if they're that keen on remote surveillance of staff, maybe check the changing rooms and toilets for hidden cameras?!  :D)

heyyouguys

If i remember clearly lets talk form does not have anywhere that says sign here so just refuse to sign it anyway

NightAndDay

It was a thing when I was there that after the lets talk the manager got you to sign and then placed the lets talk in your personnel folder, might not be the case anymore but I suppose was put in place to verify that the conversation happened and to prevent unscrupulous managers writing things in them when conversations didn't actually happen.

lucgeo

#19
The "let's talk" is unsigned, but placed in your personnel file...you can insist on signing it, and you can also make your own notes of the let's talk. A "let's talk" is placed into your file can be used at a later date for a ongoing disciplinary investigation. A "let's talk" cannot be removed from your file, but if it is proven, at a later date, to be incorrect, then a note must be attached to state that.
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

kaled78

we have a female manager who fills the whole form up with waffle on purpose,so there is no room for colleagues to add their own comments,she normally gives out at least 10 a week,and has the nickname "paperwork",because of all the extra hassle she creates

NightAndDay

#21
Quote from: lucgeo on 10-10-20, 09:10PM
The "let's talk" is unsigned, but placed in your personnel file...you can insist on signing it, and you can also make your own notes of the let's talk. A "let's talk" is placed into your file can be used at a later date for a ongoing disciplinary investigation. A "let's talk" cannot be removed from your file, but if it is proven, at a later date, to be incorrect, then a note must be attached to state that.

What is in place then to stop managers just writing whatever they want in a lets talk and putting it into an employees file without the employee realising or the meeting taking place? The situation could arise where the manager can refer to the fictitious lets talk and progress disciplinary action without a meeting of the lets talk actually taking place?

penguin

Exactly nightandday, and lets be honest the chances are it has happened at various times already.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

WhateverTrever

Quote from: bornfree on 10-10-20, 02:16AM
Can anyone point me in the direction of the CCTV policy please. Recently a manager accessed it to see how long a colleague had taken for his break and consequently had a Lets Talk meeting.
Colleague had stopped on way to his break to help another colleague out for 30 minutes and delayed starting his break. Manager watched CCTV and says his break started when he left the shop floor and therefore he took an hour instead of 30 minutes. This seems wrong to me both from accessing CCTV for 'proof' and considering helping colleague out as part of a break.
Any advice I can give to my colleague?

Here is the poliy to take a look for yourself

https://colleague-help.ourtesco.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001392126-UK-CCTV-Full-Policy-and-Supporting-Documents-

lucgeo

Quote from: NightAndDay on 10-10-20, 09:43PM
Quote from: lucgeo on 10-10-20, 09:10PM
The "let's talk" is unsigned, but placed in your personnel file...you can insist on signing it, and you can also make your own notes of the let's talk. A "let's talk" is placed into your file can be used at a later date for a ongoing disciplinary investigation. A "let's talk" cannot be removed from your file, but if it is proven, at a later date, to be incorrect, then a note must be attached to state that.

What is in place then to stop managers just writing whatever they want in a lets talk and putting it into an employees file without the employee realising or the meeting taking place? The situation could arise where the manager can refer to the fictitious lets talk and progress disciplinary action without a meeting of the lets talk actually taking place?

Nothing...but it was the same with the informals... told it was an informal, but then notes were written afterwards as a 'first written' as signing was optional... and I know this from my own naive inexperience.
It was just per chance I mentioned in passing, to personnel manager, I'd just come back from an informal, who immediately corrected me saying it was a first written?? said no...was asked if notes were written in meeting?  said no... he shot to the office, returning with notes that were allegedly written in the meeting?? said I'd  never seen them before.
That section manager came verrrryy close to losing their job, and I received a grovelling apology from that manager..I became a union rep very soon after.
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

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