– We are talking about some rather serious cases of illegal camera surveillance, says Sindre Hornnes. He is a youth adviser in LO’s summer patrol, which on Wednesday was able to present the findings from interviews with over 5,600 summer temporary workers across the country. Don’t know where the cameras are located – This year too, we have unfortunately uncovered many offences. We have recorded the largest increase in illegal camera surveillance, says Hornnes. Of the 5,637 summer temporary workers the LO patrol has spoken to, more than 720 (12.8 per cent) state that they have been filmed illegally by the company they work for. – In most cases, the issue is that the employees have not been informed that cameras have been installed in the workplace, or that they have not been told where the cameras are located. – Several serious cases Some of the cases are simply shocking. – We have also registered far more serious cases where employees have been filmed in the changing room at work, says Sindre Hornnes. The LO adviser has also been served stories about employers having installed cameras outside toilets in the workplace. The reason must be to be able to keep track of how long the employees spend doing what they need. – Why are you absolutely sure that this is why cameras are installed outside a toilet? – What other reason would there be? Hornnes asks back. With the exception of the pandemic years 2020 and 2021, LO’s summer patrol has held talks with well over 4,000 summer temporary workers each year. The grim statistics reveal a negative development in terms of illegal camera surveillance. Breaches of the personal data regulations (monitoring) 2016: 3.9% (6243 interviews) 2017: 4% (7224 interviews) 2018: 5.9% (5850 interviews) 2019: 8.9% (4788 interviews) 2020: 9.4% (1694 interviews) 2021: 8.4% (3499 interviews) 2022: 12.3% (4395 interviews) 2023: 12.8% (5637 interviews) Source: LO’s summer patrol – Employers are generally good at informing summer temporary workers about both camera surveillance and other things. It is a worrying development, which the statistics show, says Sindre Hornnes. – Must follow Norwegian law Kurt Weltzien believes the figures on illegal surveillance are disturbing. He is department director for NHO’s legal services. Kurt Weltzien, department director for NHO’s legal services. Photo: Moment Studio – No one should have to experience illegal surveillance in the workplace. NHO is concerned that employers must follow Norwegian law and inform their employees about possible camera use in accordance with the opening in the legislation, he tells news. A fee may be charged The Norwegian Data Protection Authority finds it unfortunate that so many employees are exposed to illegal surveillance. In particular, the fact that young workers are faced with this already at the start of their working life is worrying. That’s what Jasmin Omer, who is a legal adviser, says. – It is the responsibility of the employer and the business to follow the privacy regulations and ensure that their camera surveillance is legal, she says. – The finding may indicate that many employees unfortunately do not familiarize themselves with the rules or do not take the rules seriously. There are many varieties of surveillance cameras. The figures from LO’s summer patrol worry the Data Protection Authority. Photo: Heather Ørbeck Eliassen / news Omer believes easier access to equipment and lower prices may be a reason why many employers use this. Then it is important to read up on which rules apply to avoid breaking the law. – Employers must ensure that they follow the rules. It can be very costly to break the regulations, as the Norwegian Data Protection Authority can charge the business if we see that there is a serious breach of the regulations. Insufficient training Of the roughly 5,600 summer temporary workers Sindre Hornnes and his colleagues have spoken to this year, nearly 1,300 are under 18 years of age. – How do you follow up on the offences? – It is up to the employees what kind of follow-up they want from us. If the summer temporary workers want, we can of course enter into a dialogue with the employer, says Sindre Hornnes. LO’s summer patrol has also uncovered several other breaches of laws and regulations this year. These include, among other things, defective employment contracts and pay slips, breaches of overtime rules and duty lists, or that summer temporary workers have not received holiday pay. – We have also seen an increase in insufficient training. It occurs in many different industries, for example within the nursing and care sector, says Sindre Hornnes.
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Summer workers say they are monitored illegally – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
