Amazon workers privacy rights violated

Amazon Flex workers are raisings concerns over potential violations of their privacy rights. While on their personal devices and personal social media accounts, Flex workers were reportedly surveilled by their colleagues and reported on to their corporate employers.

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Toronto employment lawyer Jon Pinkus at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joins the John Oakley show on 640 Toronto to discuss these ongoing concerns.

What They Discussed

• Are there laws against personal surveillance of employee’s social media accounts? Privacy laws are still developing in Ontario. There are limits to what an employer has a right to look at and what is considered the workplace
• As many employees are working remotely, does the information they share on their devices belong to them or the company? If an employee is using a remote connection and connecting to company servers, that company can have a policy that states no privacy exists on those devices. There will still be limits.
• Is it illegal for a company to use its own workers to spy on their colleagues? If an employer is impeaching on employees’ personal devices, it is problematic.
• Is it permissible for a company to put devices on employees’ vehicles to monitor their working locations and hours? Some of these measures within an employer’s rights if an employer discloses to an employee they are being monitored.
• Can an employee still refuse to return to work if an employer has put into place safety measures? Employers have a right to request employees to return to work if they have followed the proper guidelines.