POLL: Sometimes it Feels Like Somebody's Watching Me.

[doublehelix]

A Japanese company uses a machine to act as the smile police, rating employees and suggesting how they can improve their smiles every day.

[fenrirthedark]

Having worked in a couple of call centers where all the calls were recorded and your time was closely monitored, I can say you get used to it pretty easily. Obviously on the bathroom seat is off-limits, but an employer really does have the right to monitor your work. They are not paying you to surf the web, make calls on your cellphone or whatever else. Sometimes, it even works in your favor - a recording doesn't lie.

[netdragon]

It's only acceptable if it's fully disclosed. Case in point: Employee in cubical after hours wants to go jogging after work and quickly changes in their cubical or office (without removing underwear) when no one is in office. This may be ill-advised but if no one is around is probably safe that no one will see. However, adding undisclosed surveillance cameras is not acceptable even though the employee may have made a choice considered to be in bad taste since it's an invasion of privacy.

[Courteney]

Watching employees should never be allowed. If you don't trust your employees enough to let them work independantly then you have a problem and should probably look to replace them. Trust is a two way street. If an employer doesn't trust it's employees then there isn't going to be a good working relationship. I know that companies aren't paying people to slack off but again, that is what trust is for. You can even use the boyfriend/girlfriend example. It is considered totally inappropriate for a boyfriend/girlfriend to watch or snoop on or read emails or listen to phone calls of his/her girlfriend/boyfriend. And why is it considered bad? You're not in the relationship to get cheated on, right? But yet it's still considered bad to snoop on them because if you don't trust the person, the relationship isn't working.

This is true for all relationships. Work relationships and personal relationships. In fact, the working relationship is very personal. Most days (Monday through Friday) I spend more time at work with my employer (9+ hours a day) than I do with my husband (maybe 4 hours a day, not counting sleeping). Which means that the working relationships are a big part of people's lives. It is personal on many levels and if there isn't trust than there are other problems that need to be addressed.

[Farmboy2]

Watching employees should never be allowed. If you don't trust your employees enough to let them work independantly then you have a problem and should probably look to replace them.

Surveillance in the workplace is just a way to ensure that time spent in the workplace is spent wisely. It is not a break in trust on the employer's part, but simply the employer's way to make sure his employees can be trusted. It also is a way to ensure the safety of employees. These recordings, however, should not be disclosed to anyone but the employer and the employee if he asks to see it.

[ronaldlwagar]

Surveillance in the workplace? That's standard on their part coz they tend to discipline their workers to the best.
But it has some trade-offs,making workers feel uneasy and being so stiff and unsociable at their workplace.

[RamblinglyVeryBored]

Ooo!
Can we get this kinda stuff in America at any customer service place?
I know we already record most cashiers.
But holy snikt someone teach them some damn manners and customer service skills.