How To Abide By Business Surveillance Laws 

Companies use business surveillance solutions for a variety of reasons. Some business owners use surveillance systems to discourage criminal activity while others use them to encourage employees to be more productive at work. As a business owner, you likely want to achieve both of these goals for your company. A great way to do so is to invest in business surveillance devices. However, you need to follow certain laws in order to use such devices legally. Read this post to learn how to abide by business surveillance laws.

Familiarize Yourself With Privacy Acts

Firstly, familiarize yourself with the federal privacy acts. These acts include the Federal Privacy Act and the Federal Wiretapping/Electronic Communications Privacy Act. The restrictions found in the Federal Privacy Act apply to privacy employers for the most part. However, all employers can benefit from reading the rules and regulations. After all, they include information regarding record keeping obligations. The privacy act that focuses on wiretapping and electronic communication is also beneficial for business owners. It includes regulations that you must follow if you monitor employee internet activity. Review both of these documents to gain an understanding of what it means to use business surveillance legally. Then, you can abide by the correlating laws.

Determine A Legitimate Reason

In order to abide by business surveillance laws, you also need to determine a legitimate reason for monitoring your employees. Typically, reasons for putting up business surveillance devices depend on location. You will have a different reason for placing a security camera outside of your establishment than you would for placing one above your workers’ desks. Assure that you have a legitimate reason for each place that you wish to set up surveillance devices. Then, you will abide by business surveillance laws.

Review State Variations

Furthermore, review the state variations. As with many laws pertaining to business, rules and regulations vary by state. The majority of states have their own laws related to privacy and surveillance. For this reason, it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with your state’s laws. If you follow the rules and regulations set by a different state, you could still find yourself in legal trouble. Avoid such an outcome by reviewing the different business surveillance policies in each state.

Understand Audio And Video Differences

Business owners who comply with the business surveillance laws understand the legal differences between audio and video as well. Most states allow business owners to place secret video surveillance technologies outside their establishments. However, it is illegal to record audio of people outside your business without their consent. Keep in mind that there is an exception to this regulation. While you cannot create audio recordings of people outside of your building, you can record your employees when they are talking about work. Keep this in mind when trying to comply with surveillance laws and protect your company at the same time.

Place Devices In Ideal Locations

Lastly, place our business surveillance devices in ideal locations. These ideal locations consist of the places that you know are legal. For instance, you can set a security camera up by your office door. This is the most common place for video security cameras. If you want to achieve optimal protection, place your camera high enough so that it captures any irregular and/or dangerous activity. Avoid placing monitoring devices in forbidden locations such as bathrooms and changing rooms. If you, instead, place them in ideal locations, you will comply with the associated laws.

In order to achieve a safe work environment, many business owners invest in surveillance devices. If you plan to purchase such devices, you need to ensure that you use them legally. Familiarize yourself with the federal privacy acts. Determine a legitimate reason for using surveillance equipment. Review the varying state rules and regulations to ensure that you abide by the law in the state you conduct business in. Understand the audio and video differences to comply as well. Finally, place your devices in unquestionable locations. Follow these steps to abide by business surveillance laws with optimal protection.

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