Call centre staff fear ‘Big Brother’ webcam tactics

An Airdrie contact centre firm plans to monitor its workers in their own homes using webcams.

Staff at Teleperformance say the installation of cameras for remote workers is a“big Brother”tactic and fear the technology could be open to abuse.

Webcams are being sent out this Thursday to thousands of Scottish staff who work for the company – the largest contact centre firm in the world.

Teleperformance will be able to access live footage of an employee’s home work station – potentially a living room, kitchen or bedroom.

In a statement, Teleperformance said workers“opt in”to switch on the cameras, but an internal memo states camera access is “mandatory”for random visual checks of workers.

It is also“mandatory”to allow“random”demands for access for“detection of a third person within an employee’s workspace”.

Most workers are sharing their homes, and a“third person”is likely to be a partner, flatmate or family members such as a children.

One worker said:“the company have said all of this is voluntary but mandatory means no option.

“I don’t want my boss looking into my home but I need my job so I can’t possibly say no. These are Big Brother tactics and frightening.

“It is effectively checking up, not only on us as staff but the people we are sharing our personal space with.

“The whole thing is just creepy, especially for women and for parents with kids in their house.

“We have no idea what security there is to protect us if the people monitoring us abuse their power. We don’t even know if this technology can be hacked.”

Teleperformance is to close its Airdrie site later this year. It has Glasgow offices, but 80 per cent of its 8000 UK staff are now home- based.

The internal memo says it is“mandatory”for staff to allow camera access for spot checks to ensure they have a“clean desk”, with no equipment which could record personal data of clients.

But staff say any worker with nefarious intentions would just clean their desk before the camera was switched on.

The memo states it is “mandatory”for staff to switch the webcam on when they log in and log off, in one to one meetings and training.

Craig Anderson from Call Centre Collective said staff were deeply concerned they will be asked to extend the periods of webcam access when the system beds in.

He added:“this is a complete invasion of privacy and, in reality, there is nothing voluntary here.

“Call centre work is low paid, exploitative and precarious and workers are too scared to say no because they need their job to survive.”

Teleperformance say it is“redefining the new normal”of working from home with employers benefiting from“reduced physical space costs and increased productivity”.

The firm is now advertising positions for staff who are expected to buy all their own equipment for the job.

Teleperformance has been one of the most successful“pandemic profiteers,”with Covid bringing a massive shift of transactions to call centres.

The company said the webcams are to tackle loneliness and can’t be switched on remotely, and have a shade facility to blur the background.

All change Teleperformance is to close its Airdrie site later this year