Surveillance code delayed until end of 2001

Intense lobbying from employers has forced the Information Commission to delay its Code of Practice on workplace privacy until at least the end of the year. The Commission had hoped to publish the Code before Easter 2001 to remove some of the legal uncertainty in this area.

The issue of workplace privacy – in particular the new problems created by internet and email use – has been the subject of heated debate over the past months. The Code covers three recent pieces of legislation: the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 1998, and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The delay is not a total surprise, and was predicted on workplacelaw.net as far back as January 2001, but will come as a blow to employers hoping for some clarity as to what extent they are allowed to monitor employees’ email, internet use, and phone calls.
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