T
Trish0316
Guest
What is the name of your state? New Jersey
I work in a NJ hospital setting, and this week found out (along with other coworkers) that our Medication Room had a surveillance camera with possible sound secretly placed in the ceiling. A coworker located the camera device, touched it, and accidentally broke it. She reported it to her charge nurse, who in turn told the ER director (who is a contracted employee). He went to human resources about the incident. This employee is now under investigation and might be fired or suspended today for the event.
My colleges and I are very concerned over the hidden surveillance. We use the med room also as a place to discuss the problems in the department, since it has a locked door. We feel that, if this camera had also the capability to record sound, our private discussions about administration, etc., were also recorded. We were also not given any notice about the need for camera surveillance, and feel that our rights of privacy have be jeopardized.
So far, the administration in this hospital is using the excuse for the camera as a need to surveil possible theft of TB syringes. Since the nursing staff does the daily order of such syringes, this reason for surveillance is questionable. There has been no noticeable reduction in the inventory of insulin syringes in our department. We believe the surveillance was placed to watch and listen to the complaints, discontent and morale issues my coworkers have discussed in this Med room.
My question is "As a collective group, can we file a class action lawsuit with the department of labor in NJ over the use of hidden camera surveillance in our workplace?"
Thanks,
Trish
I work in a NJ hospital setting, and this week found out (along with other coworkers) that our Medication Room had a surveillance camera with possible sound secretly placed in the ceiling. A coworker located the camera device, touched it, and accidentally broke it. She reported it to her charge nurse, who in turn told the ER director (who is a contracted employee). He went to human resources about the incident. This employee is now under investigation and might be fired or suspended today for the event.
My colleges and I are very concerned over the hidden surveillance. We use the med room also as a place to discuss the problems in the department, since it has a locked door. We feel that, if this camera had also the capability to record sound, our private discussions about administration, etc., were also recorded. We were also not given any notice about the need for camera surveillance, and feel that our rights of privacy have be jeopardized.
So far, the administration in this hospital is using the excuse for the camera as a need to surveil possible theft of TB syringes. Since the nursing staff does the daily order of such syringes, this reason for surveillance is questionable. There has been no noticeable reduction in the inventory of insulin syringes in our department. We believe the surveillance was placed to watch and listen to the complaints, discontent and morale issues my coworkers have discussed in this Med room.
My question is "As a collective group, can we file a class action lawsuit with the department of labor in NJ over the use of hidden camera surveillance in our workplace?"
Thanks,
Trish