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Businesses risk damaging their reputations if they unlawfully monitor staff while they are at work, according to a professional support lawyer.

Adam Rice, of Travers Smith, says there is a limit to how far employers can go with surveillance as employees' right to privacy is protected by a precedent set in the European Court of Human Rights last year, in which an employee's emails, phone calls and internet use were monitored.

Writing for Personnel Today, Mr Rice claims that some monitoring of staff, including graduates and interns, is acceptable in order to ensure workers are meeting targets, but a balance must be struck with covert surveillance only acceptable in exceptional circumstances.

"Oppressive monitoring may de-motivate staff and cause public embarrassment," he said.

Mr Rice added: "Employers who engage in unlawful monitoring could also face unlimited damages and potential fines under data protection laws."

In a recent survey about CCTV in schools carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers more than half of those polled said CCTV made them feel safer at work and almost two-thirds said it could have positive uses, reports the Guardian.

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