Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Granny Cams for More than Watching Granny What to do when caring for a resident whose room has a surveillance camera installed Newsletters Ontario Healthcare Sectors Health Care By Aren Plante, Representative, Grimsby Member Centre Having been a CLAC representative for nearly two years now, it seems every few months I am receiving a frantic call from an understandably upset member concerned about a resident’s family installing cameras in the rooms of their loved ones. In each circumstance, the first step we take to resolve such a matter is to raise it with management and outline the negative effects recording has on causing performance anxiety for workers. The use of cameras in healthcare settings is made all the more nuanced by the increased diversity in the sector. Many people object to being recording either because of the ways dictatorial governments use them to surveil citizens or because of religious convictions about not making images of humans. While anyone involved in healthcare realizes that taking steps to prevent resident abuse is critical, many employees are hypervigilant to accusations of abuse. Being found culpable of such a heinous act is often a capital offense in employment law. Some employers have a tendency to promiscuously use accusations of abuse to discipline employees. From a legal perspective, the use of video cameras is hard to challenge as recording private interactions and conversations is legal if at least one party is aware of it. But unions have been successful in challenging the absolute use of video cameras in residents’ rooms. Many employers have implemented policies that while allowing the use of video cameras, audio recording is not allowed. The immediate advice I give to members concerned about video recordings is trust in their own professional abilities, and maintain active communication with both their union representatives and their employer. If you have a moral objection to being recorded, I recommend wearing a facemask to protect your identity or request being assigned to a different resident for religious reasons. You might be interested in Workplace Lessons We Can Learn from Chess 16 May 2025 RVilla Caledonia Retirement Living Employees Unanimously Ratify New Contract 15 May 2025 Using Technology to Further the Cause of Progressive Trade Unionism 15 May 2025 Haebler Construction Employees Unanimously Ratify New Collective Agreement 14 May 2025