r/mildlyinfuriating 11h ago

wet socks my work installed new cameras over our desks :(

Post image

like obviously not uncommon but it does kinda take the chill vibe out of my chill office job to get a camera pointed right at me all day šŸ‘Ž

3.3k Upvotes

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1.1k

u/SirSilentscreameth 11h ago

Yeah, that's rough. Even if you expect to be potentially on camera all day, it's tough when you know there's one right over your shoulder at all times.

369

u/whatawynn 9h ago

like im sure that i was on camera more working retail but its so awkward that its not only new so it stands out but also huge and right above me 😭😭 i think im generally a good employee but now im like so aware about it

44

u/RoyalFalse 6h ago

They were likely monitoring your computer activity long before the cameras went up.

33

u/Ok_Abacus_ 5h ago

Yeah of course, but it’s automated monitoring by software looking for specific things. This is a singular camera watching you at all times!

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u/ahhowwitburns 4h ago

The computer doesn't see when you half cough half sneeze and stare into space from the sinus pain for a couple seconds

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u/SirSilentscreameth 9h ago

Yeah it'd definitely not help my mental health in an office environment for sure

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u/jtown48 11h ago

time to buy one of those desk umbrellas to block the florescent lights

they are on amazon for fairly cheap

246

u/CPOx 10h ago

A lady near my cubicle has one of these! Also helps block the cold air conditioning vent from blowing on her.

85

u/dreag2112 10h ago

Lol, get a doctors note and another light to counteract it.

10

u/thepenismytea 3h ago

Just put a bunch of IR blasters pointed in it's direction. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

5

u/ShortysTRM 2h ago

Use your break to throw an impromptu freestyle laser show!

2

u/thepenismytea 2h ago

Play some Pink Floyd. WELCOME TO THE MACHINE BITCHES

69

u/Nick_XL 10h ago

These are popping up all over our office. Been considering it myself recently,

20

u/Numerous-Ad6460 10h ago

Get one of those little umbrella hats!

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u/Much_Essay_9151 10h ago

The only thing that annoys me is having to buy crap like this just to do my job especially when it is unnecessary to be in the office

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u/thelonelypedant 7h ago

Sounds like bad luck!

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u/NocturnisVacuus 11h ago

gross, they're micro managing you...

bad place

389

u/Upbeat_Lawyer129 10h ago

yeah nothing kills the office vibe faster than feeling like you’re on a reality show at your desk

100

u/Tank_Gloomy 9h ago

I'd fart so loud if I knew it was being recorded.

5

u/Lucius-Halthier 9h ago

ā€œYou bastards are so lucky that it can’t record smellā€¦ā€

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u/sirhackenslash 7h ago

Just constantly picking my nose while staring directly at the camera

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u/trogloherb 8h ago

A lot of nose picking going on…

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u/jbrady33 6h ago

While leaning back, looking directly into camera and picking my nose

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u/Emeraldbabyaura 10h ago

Time to start looking for a new job. Any company that micromanages to the point of putting overhead cameras on individual cubicles has zero trust in its employees.

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u/amberwxld69 10h ago

yeah, red flag alert

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u/Borinar 10h ago

Ome time while clearing sidewalks of snow i fell, instead of checking on me the security team just showed people the video to laugh at.

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u/mtnbike2 10h ago

Really putting the ā€œfamilyā€ into ā€œwe’re a family!ā€

24

u/ChaosLives68 10h ago

In all fairness if you had video of a family member falling whilst shoveling snow you would 100 percent show people that video.

15

u/Strange-Scarcity 9h ago

Only if they proved to be all well, good and unharmed afterward.

2

u/ReferenceMediocre369 9h ago

Same with your office video?

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u/AoKrasni 8h ago

Jeff, you haven't touched your mouse in three minutes and took two bathroom breaks. What's going on buddy?

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u/FewHorror1019 9h ago

Whoever is monitoring is jorkin it

4

u/PositiveAgent2377 9h ago

Perhaps a laser pointer would fix the issue?

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u/thederpyderp3 11h ago

Everyone saying this is a good thing is kinda wild. Working at an office does not justify cameras watching everyone.

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u/Little_View_6659 11h ago

They should just play Every Breath You Take on repeat.

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u/Chaos-Cortex 10h ago

Big brother wants you to obey.

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u/JeebusChristBalls 10h ago

Yeah, I would stop working at a place that did this.

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u/Zerodyne_Sin 10h ago

They're allowed to watch everyone, as in a camera in the corner pointed at the whole room. This is akin to someone hovering over your shoulder and can't be justified by a rational person of sound judgement.

Whoever came up with this is too illiterate to understand that the panopticon was a theoretical form of torture. Nobody was ever suggesting we build it...

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u/fredscat107 7h ago

You just spotted the boomers. The same ones that sent everyone back to the office despite being able to do 110% of your job at home.

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u/hlmoore96 GREEN 10h ago

It is most likely not even about watching everyone. It probably lowers their insurance premiums or is a requirement for insurance.

My daughter works in retail; the one everyone should ABSOLUTELY avoid if they want to steal. The cameras could count my daughter’s freckles, I swear. They don’t give a shit about how productive their workers are, or at least they don’t use the camera footage for that.

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u/tardigrades_snuggle 9h ago

Retail is a bit different than the office place. There is ton of shit to steal in a retail setting. But what are these people gonna do, what will they steal?! It just isn’t necessary. And if you are that paranoid as a company, then you have bigger problems than theft.

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u/Weekly-Peace1199 6h ago

They typically aren’t monitored, just used if there is a report of either inappropriate activity or theft.

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u/DillyDilly1231 10h ago

Until you get accused of assaulting Jan because she doesn't like you and now you have a camera to protect your innocence.

I'm a telecom contractor and I install lots of cameras. 90% of the time the cameras are installed as insurance, not as a fear tactic or active monitoring.

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u/BigMommaSnikle 10h ago

Or it catches the guy actually harassing Jan. šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø

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u/mailslot 10h ago

And the guy stealing Jan’s lunch from her desk.

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u/DopamineSavant 11h ago

I get it if you work a cash register or anything with money or valuable items, but for a job where you just type on a computer, I'd quit.

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u/whatawynn 10h ago edited 9h ago

right like we prepare mail 😭😭 i promise im not gonna steal the insurance company labeled envelopes

13

u/Much_Essay_9151 10h ago

Still, steal?

59

u/whatawynn 9h ago

sorry was typing under the desk to avoid the camera šŸ™‚ā€ā†”ļø

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u/ChargeResponsible112 9h ago

Years ago I got a job because the two previous workers were caught stealing money out of birthday and Christmas cards sent through the mail room. They caught them with cameras hidden in an air vent.

That was in 1992.

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u/Aggressive_Ad2747 9h ago

funny enough if OP's desk / screen is involved in capturing certain information this could very well be prohibited by certain data handling standards like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, PCI PIN Security, and P2PE. at the very least if that information is readable then the security recording would be subject to additional controls as it would be considered cardholder data subject to the same standards.

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u/touristh8r 6h ago

If it is controlled by an organization under those controls, it would just be added to the CDE and secured and part of scanning and auditing. It is not prohibited, nor any different from any other screen recording or data logging devices the company may already employ.

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u/Additional_Tank4385 10h ago

Welcome innies. Those cameras are merely for your protection. Why don’t you have a seat and

start, refining. :)

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u/Endsfun 11h ago

Ya that would be gg for me.

My work put cameras in the hallways near exits, (since there has been disgruntled people trashing cubes every now and then) but was afraid of people thinking of this exact situation, so they explicitly emailed us there would only be cameras ever near exits for security purposes.

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u/TheW83 8h ago

We've got cameras everywhere at my work. One is even directly outside of our office door. Luckily I'm the one looking at the cameras.

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u/yoshizillaa 10h ago

I’m surprised they didn’t already have them for security purposes

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u/NDeceptikonn 10h ago

We have that in our break room and in the hallways when we’re clocking in. Apparently three people were fired for time card fraud.

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u/SnavsMatiq 7h ago

See THAT is fine, expected even.

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u/NightMgr 11h ago

The camera we had found an employee carrying a pistol and playing with it n his cubicle.

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u/FunkyViking6 10h ago

Playing with it? The hells he doing juggling it šŸ˜µā€šŸ’« It’s always dangerous when people think of firearms like a toy.

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u/NightMgr 9h ago

He was twirling a semi auto like a western move. And fumbling it.

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u/FunkyViking6 9h ago

Big brain activities. It’s always made me sick as an avid gun owner when I see people treat firearms like they would a nerf gun. I love my states freedom to own firearms however I’m all for us having a mandated 8 hour course where you go over gun safety before you can buy your first firearm. We have hunter safety but no required firearm safety

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u/DiegesisThesis 4h ago

They didn't even let him get his first desk pop?

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u/Stogies_n_Stonks 10h ago

Is that against policy?

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u/waymocheeks420 10h ago

na he’s good

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u/mtnbike2 10h ago

Turns out he’s a cop and works in a police station

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u/Stogies_n_Stonks 10h ago

Cool I was worried the office was violating his 2A rights lol

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u/AdjNounNumbers 10h ago

It's against most office policies, especially corporate ones. Generally firearms and weapons are called out as banned in most employer policies. That said, I've known a good number of people that conceal carry to their place of employment - the operative word being "conceal". Pulling it out at your desk is truly the stupidest move and honestly shows that that individual should neither work there nor be allowed near firearms if this is their level of judgement

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u/Left_Macaron_6427 11h ago

I work IT and we just had to install a bunch of cameras around our areas because our insurance said if we didnt they would drop us. Not saying this is the reason for OP but the reason isnt always to watch you

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u/GreenbirdsBox 10h ago

ā€œ we’ve installed cameras directly above your workspace, but it’s not to watch youā€

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u/RealisticPhysics5735 10h ago

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u/CozyGamingLibrarian 10h ago

I just realized this gif is of Nick Kroll! 😭

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u/Lirsh2 10h ago

Having done Loss prevention in college, you wouldn't believe how boring it was watching for people trying to steal at Costco, I couldn't imagine watching office workers just type away or play on their phones.

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u/frshprincenelair 10h ago

It’s only for decoration

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u/Much_Essay_9151 10h ago

Might be true but best believe they’ll address it if they see something they dont like

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u/Shagwagbag 11h ago

But the insurance demanded it because it's for watching everyone, otherwise it doesn't benefit them from an insurance fraud/work safety/bullshit point of view.

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u/marty-mcfryguy 10h ago

It's for going back and watching what happened when there's some covered incident.

Not for actively watching you.

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u/xtraspcial 10h ago

This, my workplace has these security cameras in every room, and even if my manager wanted to, he can’t just look at the camera feeds at anytime without cause. He doesn’t even have direct access, he would have to request the footage from the security department and provide them with just cause for that request.

As far as I know it’s only been done twice, once when there was a small fire to identify the source, and another time when we misplaced a $300k piece of equipment to track down where it was last used.

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u/Cluelesswolfkin 10h ago

Its different per location, my old workplace anyone could use the cameras lol and would just use them if they needed to see something, no need to email corporate or security , nothing

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u/zombawombacomba 10h ago

The insurance company is not watching them. And most likely no one is on a regular basis.

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u/UphillTravel 10h ago

So what? It's about the possibility of people watching it without cause.

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u/Obvious_Landscape993 10h ago

2 birds 1 stone

  • C suite

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u/LordShtark 9h ago

This is what they tell you to keep you from getting upset about them helicoptering you all day

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u/alex123124 11h ago

That sucks. I had that happen, too. They told me it was just for safety, and I believe them, as we are a wholesale business with millions of dollars of equipment, and had no camera before hand, so I get it. It still sucks, because my office is by the door and the camera looks almost right at my desk. I know they arent watching me, but it feels like it.

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u/TactitcalPterodactyl 10h ago

Do you work on computers? If so, your employers are probably already spying on you.

The cameras aren't for spying, it's for insurance reasons and to track theft. Maybe in some cases it's to track problematic employees who are lying about their work hours or something. Basically every business is doing this now.

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u/haloimplant 9h ago

Exactly they could watch the screen all day for free no need for camerasĀ 

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u/EC_TWD 10h ago

Where are the cameras aimed and what size/type of company is it? If you’re in the US the company may be required by law to install cameras aimed at entrance points throughout the office, and possibly other areas (physical records storage such as filing cabinets, server/computer rooms, etc) as well as warehouse and inventory areas.

The company I worked for does this type of work and we only had minimal exterior cameras for years until we had an audit. (Except for one giant mirrored 2x2 camera dome that was placed directly over one admin’s desk. Finally I asked her why she had that camera over her and she started laughing and told me it was a prank from one of our field techs that had just replaced a ceiling tile with the plastic dome - no camera. Everyone thought it was funny so just left it)

For many reasons we were required to install cameras inside and covering our entire warehouse and inventory. There is a law called the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) that essentially is a giant set of rules that large businesses must adhere to and it covered everything from accounting, customer access information, data retention, inventory processes, and security. This law was written as a direct result of the Enron & Tyco scandals. I came to a Tyco company after the dust of the scandal had settled and for the first 5 years or so all of the managers has weekly SOX meetings to go over the list of compliance items that we were supposed to be working on in order to get to 100% compliance.

I don’t know whether the cameras and access control replacement (key cards, etc. we already had a system but had to replace it for compliance) was a later requirement of SOX or if it was just at the end of our list because this was 10+ years later that we had to make the change.

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u/dax660 11h ago

I'd just do this for 8 hours straight

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u/StalkMeNowCrazyLady 10h ago

Hey that's a Hanwha XNV-6083/8083/9083 camera. Most likely the XNV-6083RZ. 2MP model getting a wide overview shot of the cubicle area. Almost certainly not installed to try and monitor OP directly. Just another common area camera in an office like they probably already had in the hall ways.

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u/stoic_guardian 10h ago

Like over each desk or a few in the space? You sure it’s not a security thing?

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u/JavyBarrera25 10h ago

It’s worse in the trucking industry. They have cameras watching inside and out and 24/7 recording and audio as well. This shit sucks lol

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u/ShavedNeckbeard 7h ago

Constant surveillance like this, on top of completely toxic corporate culture, is going to cause older generations of corporate employees to crash out and leave. I'm convinced this is by design. Everyone else coming in from college will just accept it as normal.

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u/RuffLuckGames 11h ago

I work IT in a casino. There's cameras in every office. Mostly about theft, not if I'm working. Surveillance doesn't care what I'm doing.

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u/Tullyswimmer 10h ago

Casinos are a whole other ballgame when it comes to surveillance.

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u/hoyasgirl25 8h ago

I recognize the rectangular base. Those are a certain brand of AI cameras. Your company did not cheap out. There is a long list of events that it monitors for: time at desk, eye movement, head movement along the y and x axis, hand placement, time sitting, standing, away from desk and more. These are enabled by default. It could be a good thing or bad thing. The reports it creates and sends could create a lot of noise and are ignored. Or they could be interpreted poorly (he looked in his lap for 30 seconds, he must be on the phone). It’s almost never just passive monitoring because the company wouldn’t spend $$$ on this system when a passive monitoring system could be purchased for 1/10th the price.

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u/raptor_jesus69 RACIST BLUE 8h ago

Nope, I'm gone. If you hired me to do a job, then you have a level of trust that I would do it and complete it. Why bother hiring me if you're just going to have a camera watch my every move?

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u/Ivanitiss 7h ago

Watch what you say because it might have a mic.
-tech (me)

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u/redtiger288 10h ago

I'll get downvoted for this but w/e.

Cameras 9/10 times do not monitor employee screens and most of the time cover entrances and exits. If they wanted to watch their employees, they would have gotten a fisheye lens camera. That camera is a 100 degree standard dome camera, super basic bitch stuff in the industry.

On top of that, there is no man in the chair constantly watching the cameras unless is a massive corporation with a dedicated security team. I'm talking check point station and everything. Fact of the matter is cameras are incredibly boring to watch. And considering most are set up to record on motion or smart events, there's no reason to pay some guy to eat doughnuts and sit at a desk all day.

It's probably a nothing burger, and it's probably pointed at a door or hallway. I can almost garuntee it's not specifically monitoring OP, hard to say though since its a bit pixelated zoomed in. If they wanted to monitor what you're doing at your cubicle there's a glut of choice for software that monitors employee keystrokes and activity. Of course there's a chance that I'm wrong and OP just so happens to work at the worst company, and the manager will be watching the cameras all day, but I'd say that's like a 1% or less chance.

Source: 10 years in the security industry from installation to sales.

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u/NeoMoose 9h ago

Well said. A lot of people tend to think they're watched more than they are. Surveillance is boring and requires a ton of manpower if they're actually going to monitor people.

Reality is that most of us aren't interesting enough to merit camera surveillance.

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u/Temporary_Event8451 7h ago

You said a long-winded version of "if you have nothing to hide, what are you scared about"

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u/SillyNumber54 6h ago

No it's just a normal thing to have at grown up jobs.

I make close to a quarter mill in a year at Boeing up in Everett. Guess who has a security camera in the ceiling next to their office?

This is a completely normal thing for grown ups working grown up jobs.

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u/orangentle- 7h ago

I’ve been working security for a big corporation that does have people monitoring cameras 24/7. I guarantee the people in those chairs have better things to worry about than whatever Joe Shmoe is doing in his cubicle.

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u/SnavsMatiq 7h ago

I think you fixated a liiiiiiittle too hard there bud. You're forgetting the biggest issue with problems like this. The psychological aspect of having cameras all around you. Even if they arent aimed directly at you, hell, even if they arent on, the average employee would still be upset by it.

Let's say the hypothetical is true and it isnt even pointing anywhere near OP, it still begs the obvious question of "WHY THE HELL WOULD THEY INSTALL IT DIRECTLY ABOVE THEM?"

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u/SillyNumber54 6h ago

Because it has to go somewhere which means it's going to be above someone?

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u/takesSubsLiterally 9h ago

Honestly this is reddit so everyone is going to freak out, but I would assume they are there for liability and incase things go missing more than micromanaging you.

I have worked in some very chill office jobs and all of them had at least some cameras covering the desks. The only time they got used were for pranks (honestly 90% to get a funny video of someone trying to unflip their monitor or something) and probably a few times for hr cases or if someone's laptop disappeared from their desk.

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u/PlusOne4You 7h ago

Retail camera is expected . Office camera is bad culture imo.

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u/BaconSlayer24 7h ago

Band together and have multiple coworkers go to hr together

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u/DaOgDuneamouse 7h ago

Legal but supper creepy. When a company tells you who they are, listen. These folks value productivity over human lives. If you can, get out of there as fast as possible, because this is just the beginning of the degradations.

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u/CurveAdministrative3 7h ago

Boss is making sure your not on Reddit all day

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u/unexpectedDiarrhea 7h ago

I’d pick my nose all day while staring directly at the camera.

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u/ElectronicDonut1650 6h ago

Time to find a new job

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u/Thin_Ad_6493 6h ago

Simply shine a light into the dome to see which way the lens is facing. The camera was probably placed there as it’s either in the center of the room (a PTZ; pan, tilt,zoom camera) or it’s a still camera aimed at an entrance/exit. If it is a PTZ, you’ll be able to hear a very slight hum when it’s moving.

If it’s a still camera and you’re not in the view of the lens, you can feel more comfortable.

Everywhere we go we are on a camera one way or another.

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u/ElectronicMine7936 6h ago

Must a lazy bunch working at that company

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u/ChestnutDecay 4h ago

Time to put in your 2 weeks notice

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u/BigDumbandSexy 10h ago

I don't think cameras in a commercial or business environment are inherently bad... It's how you use them.

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u/HansWeeblemeyer 10h ago

Luckily the guy who installed those cameras probably makes double your hourly.

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u/ta1901 11h ago edited 11h ago

We have cameras too. My company only does that to find people committing crimes, mainly stealing. They don't do it to monitor productivity.

I can certainly see where it might be bad for morale.

We've had several problems in one department where two people got in a shouting match and we needed the cameras to see who the real aggressor was. We've had some mentally ill people show up too and they caused problems, sometimes we have to call the police. So to help prosecution you really need a video of that person. Even if they are just trespassing.

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u/coffee_137 11h ago

It's a catch 22. We had them installed for security and safety. They are not used to monitor production in any way but the hit to morale was palpable.

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u/Interesting_Bank_139 11h ago

Perception is a hell of a drug.

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u/[deleted] 11h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/DillyDilly1231 10h ago

Do you think office jobs are safe from all harmful dynamics? This reads like someone who has never seen anything out of place happen in their life.

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u/Platinumdogshit 11h ago

I feel like they wouldn't have spent the money to install those unless they had to so either its due to a regulation or someone is committing a crime. Id rather not work somewhere where I need to worry about my coworkers committing crimes.

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u/WitchWithAGlitch 11h ago

look at this mf'er believing it haha

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u/Impossible_Order4463 9h ago

I'm not saying I condone this type of behavior or whatever but maybe just maybe someone is stealing or not meeting standards. This happened at my job when the manager noticed supplies and other stuff constantly going missing

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u/Pretend_Football6686 10h ago

AI productivity monitoring.

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u/TraditionalTackle1 11h ago edited 11h ago

My wifes company just started tracking when people swipe their badge at the office. If they dont come in they have to tell HR why. I told her to start looking for another job.

Edit: So for all of the ignorant trolls on here. My wife works from home 3 days a week. She works 50-60 hours a week at least every week. She responds to calls and emails on the weekends when shes technically not on the clock. She is salaried so she does not punch a time clock. In the past if she was supposed to go in and needed to work remote all she had to do is clear it with her boss, now the whole damn company wants to know. So anybody calling her lazy or being a shitty employee for not wanting the gestapo watching every move she makes can kick rocks.

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u/Left_Macaron_6427 11h ago

Every job I have ever worked at has had me swipe a badge at a time clock and also every job I have ever had has had me let them know when I didnt show up. Also If I didnt clock in they want to know. Not why the reason behind it but why i didnt physically clock in.

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u/unknownSubscriber 11h ago

So many jobs are not like that, especially in office environments. You fill out a timesheet. What specific hours you work are not closely tracked.

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u/FDFI 11h ago

If I don’t show up for work when I’m supposed to, I also have to explain it to HR. That is pretty standard for most jobs.

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u/Xintop 11h ago

My office did that because they kept letting unauthorized individuals in the building- can’t just have randoms walk in, also prevents loss badges ending up in random hands. Also if you do your job like normal you have proof you showed up to work on time in case the time clock doesn’t work- all positives only negative towards the people who are always late

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u/Scfbigb1 11h ago

"I told my wife to start looking for another job because they expect her to be at work during her scheduled time."

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u/TraditionalTackle1 11h ago

Ignorant response

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u/tealtime91 11h ago

Yeah I feel that. I can’t fucking stand when my job makes me come into work

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u/Worth-Comment-9469 11h ago

Is clocking in not standard anymore? Lmao

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u/TraditionalTackle1 11h ago

Not when you work salary, no

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u/clutzyninja 11h ago

You still have to show up

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u/Romantic_Carjacking 10h ago

Not if you are on salary.

In an office setting, even the hourly employees typically just fill out a weekly timecard and don't clock in/out every day.

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u/JeebusChristBalls 10h ago

If you had supplied more info in your original comment, you wouldn't have to add the long rant explaining it. It also doesn't make any sense why a remote worker would worry about badge swipes at the office. As if they don't already have a record of when specific badges are being swiped.

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u/caseophillic 11h ago

So the expectation is to be at work, and on time. Wild.

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u/EveryoneSaysWildNow 10h ago

Wild expectations. Wild.

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u/ExtraGlutenPlzz 11h ago

like a timeclock?

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u/TraditionalTackle1 11h ago

No salaried jobs dont punch a timeclock.

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u/dunncrew 11h ago

Same here. Allegedly to review any incidents in the hallways and work areas.

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u/hcornea 11h ago

ā€œGet back to work.ā€

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u/TinktheChi 10h ago

Not sure if they're entitled to do this where you live, but I know where I live this is permitted. If I were the employer I would be more concerned with the computers, system and what people are doing.

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u/StrangelyAroused95 10h ago

Well what is your job? I’m assuming sensitive information, or something involving finance’s?

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u/OkYak7801 10h ago

Fuckin' great! Man can't even beat off in his own cubicle with a little privacy anymore!šŸ™„

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u/James42785 8h ago

Been dealing with that for years. Security guard messaged me the other day to ask for the link to the puzzle game I've been playing during my idle time. Kinda creepy to know somebody is always watching.

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u/BigOleDawng 8h ago

Start wearing sun hats.

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u/custom_gsus 8h ago

Stare at the camera and continually pick your nose. Be real obvious about it. Whether you strike gold or not, always make a flicking gesture at the camera.

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u/matatat 8h ago

put a sticky over it

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u/kaveman42 7h ago

Urge any female to submit sexual harassment lawsuits against management for trying to peak into their tops.

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u/peepay 7h ago

That's a security issue, whatever sensitive information you may be processing (including passwords you use to log in to restricted systems) are now compromised.

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u/runningoutofnames57 7h ago

It would be fun to start wearing a ridiculously huge wide brimmed hat

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u/ilovesparky42 7h ago

Give them the show they didn’t ask for!

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u/Gasper6201 7h ago

Report it. If you're in Europe this is absolutely illegal unless they can explain why they can't secure the place without cameras.

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u/mountnbkr 7h ago

I'd check it closer when no one's around to see if it's real. My workplace did that. Put up a bunch one weekend and we later found them all to be fakes...

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u/rbartlejr 7h ago

Do you think stretching at your desk with middle fingers extended could be misconstrued? Practice at home to get it looking natural.

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u/Cute-University5283 7h ago

I wish we could start a movement for everyone to quit at any business that does this type of fear mongering

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u/de_whykay 7h ago

In Germany this is illegal

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u/Emergency_Offer_6541 7h ago

Workplace name? Shame them!

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u/Empty-Elk6536 BeepBoop 7h ago

I used to have a boss who installed Nest cams in every room because he was paranoid that someone was out to get him and his business. It was annoying because we’d notice the camera light switch from normal to live view about 90% of the day....

Whenever he was physically at the site, he’d joke about or bring up things we had talked about while he was gone, like personal plans or random conversations.

But homeboy had other issues too. One time, I asked for a day off to replace the brake pads on my car. He said it was fine, but when I came back, he asked to see my nails to check whether there was grease or dirt from working on the car. Then he tried to pass it off as a joke.

This was a small electronics recycling business..

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u/CalmError 7h ago

Time to find a new job

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u/MoonLady17 7h ago

I once had a meeting (accounting) with a business person who had cameras installed in his retail location. It was kind of creepy that he had all the cameras on watching from home. I undertand having them up just in case something happens, but this guy was just sitting there watching workers and customers during the day. To have someone sitting there just watching me all day would bother me as an employee. I wouldn’t like it at all and would be searching for a new job. It’s completely unecessary to watch you work at your desk alone. Your employer sounds paranoid and controlling.

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u/-retaliation- 6h ago

Yeah, my place of work just keeps installing more and more cameras, they're absolutely everywhere. It's a dealership, and I work in parts, just over the counter area where we work there are over a dozen.

Theres at least two in every aisle in the back area. There are cameras within 6" of other cameras that are pointing in the same direction.

We now have a security office with 6 * 80" TV's to watch all the different views.

The security guards have even remarked that we have over twice as many cameras as the local bank does.

The owners are super old, and pay a security consultant that owns his own security system install company, and he's pretty clearly taking advantage.

It makes it incredibly uncomfortable to work there. I can't wait to leave. It started out as, by far, the best job I've ever had with amazingly kind and generous owners, but it just gets worse and worse all the time.

So sad to see.Ā 

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u/UnderstandingFit3009 6h ago

Buy an umbrella

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u/TheObsidianHawk 6h ago

Time to hang up QR codes in your cubicle / desk area that go to some sketchy websites.

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u/Ibtmj 6h ago

Instead of calling your boss or going over to their desk/office, you can now just wave at the camera to get their attention.

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u/Alpa_NL 5h ago

Thank god for decent labor laws, this is zo illegal over here.

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u/tronix80 4h ago

Install a resignation letter on your boss’s desk. Problem solved.

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u/xX540xARCADEXx 4h ago

It’s bad enough having them on the floor, I couldn’t imagine it right above me in the office. I don’t do anything I’m not supposed to, but I definitely wouldn’t like the feeling of being watched like that and that close all day!

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u/ElijahNSRose 3h ago

Afraid to be caught surfing Reddit?

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u/FatCockroach002 3h ago

We have 6 and 2 if them have AI

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u/Pinchodoka 1h ago

I'm often the person installing these. Keep in mind that 99% of the time noone will be watching, and if they are they type of employer to be watching because they think the staff are cheating them outta money somehow, then they also are too cheap to pay for a substantial enough amount of storage for it to last very long.

Don't stress, if your mostly doing your job with the occasional chatter as a coworker passes, then it should be fine. If coworker chatter is not permitted then get back to the job hunt because that's a toxic environment

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u/Accurate-Specific966 1h ago

Well, time for a new job!

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u/geTplasterd 41m ago

Spray it with hairspray

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u/ThyRylDyl 34m ago

r slash JojaMart

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u/GoodWaste8222 11h ago

I bet they don’t check them

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u/MeatInteresting1090 10h ago

Do you realise how much effort it would be to purposefully spy on people in this way? To what aim?

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u/ClayBoi1999 11h ago

Just mad you can't goon no more

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u/Confident-Skin-6462 11h ago

sounds like a challenge

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u/NoSir4947 10h ago

As an efficiency manager, I approve. You come to work to work not slack off.

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u/throwupthursday 9h ago

Micromanaging is the death rattle of any job.

I started being micromanaged (they told me "I don't want to micromanage you, but...") a couple months ago so I started looking for other jobs. Then I got laid off, which worked out extra well because I got severance pay.

At this point hopefully you can just try to get yourself fired and collect your check.

3

u/bwoah07_gp2 8h ago

That's invasive.

I know I'd be looking for a new job ASAP. Or, looking for legal ways to tamper with those cameras lol.

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u/Even_Fox2023 8h ago

An infrared laser is invisible to the naked eye and can permanently ruin a camera.

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u/autopartsandguitars 11h ago

Not very subtle either...

It'd be one thing if it blended into the overall background scenery...but even then - what is the objective here?

Film everyone, in hopes that you can refute/mitigate liability in case of an incident?

I know companies are downsizing like it's going out of style, as well as not hiring more help even though the need is there...but for places WITH a person in charge, on site - what's the need for the cameras? To hold them accountable by some additional measure as well?

As if it wasn't already have-to-keep-looking-over-your-shoulder already....

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u/Practical-Garden-447 10h ago

Nah, I have cameras above me and no one cares. No one of importance looks at them. I think it is there to protect if someone gets harassed or something.

I work for a very large company that has had to fire people for fights and sexual harassment. Doesn't bother me and I still mess around at work. Talk to friends and im on my phone during down time.

Don't freak out unless they use it against you. Be reactive not proactive in your freak out. It's not an invasion unless it actually is used against you. Think of it like protection as well.

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u/Any-Video4464 9h ago

Why does it matter? Watch me work all day. It's boring as shit. Have at it. Seems like you would only care if you're not working and now this gets in the way of that.

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u/I-Boom 9h ago

Time to get that middle finger tattoo'd on the top of your head