We recently installed motion- and voice-activated security cameras for staff safety and after-hours protection. While this is not something I normally do, on the new manager’s first day, I decided to check the main reception camera to see if it was a good time to call. When I accessed the feed, I saw only the senior manager. Skimming through recordings from earlier that morning, I saw that the new manager had arrived earlier.
While scrolling, I stumbled upon a clip of the senior manager speaking disdainfully of the new manager, and poorly of me, to an entry-level staffer. Complaints about salary and bonuses were also discussed.
GET CAUGHT UP
Stories to keep you informed
I can’t unhear what was said. My ego is bruised, but more than that, the senior manager’s sharing of confidential salary information has floored me. I also wonder what else this manager is saying to staff.
The senior manager, who is well liked and a critical part of our operations, helped us through a tumultuous transition, earning an expanded role and a 30 percent pay increase this year. This manager also knows about the cameras and has the same access I do, so there would be no reason to assume the conversation would be private.
Do I tell the senior manager what I saw and heard? The embarrassment could be devastating, but if I don’t, I can’t address what is clearly deep-seated resentment and a lack of professionalism. How can I trust this manager with important core decisions ever again?
Karla: I can think of several reasons you shouldn’t tell the senior manager what you caught on camera, and why you should probably avoid making a habit of using security cameras for general employee surveillance.
First, state and federal privacy laws can be tricky, especially when it comes to recording audio — even when it’s a security system in a business you own. For example, the National Labor Relations Board prohibits employers from recording union activity and conversations; even if your workers aren’t unionized, what you call “sharing confidential salary information” might still be considered protected discussion of working conditions and compensation. If you don’t have a lawyer-vetted policy describing appropriate use of security cameras, you should probably look into creating one for yourself and anyone else with access to those feeds.
Even assuming you have the legal right to randomly access and review recordings at your workplace, think about the message it would inevitably send if you started calling employees out on what you witness: A system purportedly installed for employee security is instead being used to scrutinize their whereabouts and conversations by an overseer they rarely see in person. And then you’ll probably end up with a lot more vacancies to fill. They may know they’re on camera, but their tolerance of that fact is based on a fragile trust that you won’t use recordings for other than their intended protective purpose.
Now, I don’t know what the deal is with your likable, team-playing, well-paid senior manager who seemingly let the mask drop. Was it just an off morning that caused some simmering snark to boil over? Is this person a two-faced malcontent, or a burned-out workhorse with legitimate concerns that aren’t being heard? Is the 30 percent increase a poor reward compared to what you offered the new manager?
I have no way of finding that out. But you do. You went fishing and pulled up a boot; instead of stewing and speculating about what else is lying under the surface, dive in and see for yourself. You can’t un-hear what you heard, but you can review it for clues about issues that need addressing, like personnel conflicts and pay.
Ask questions: “How do you think the new manager is settling in?” “What’s something that would make your job easier?” Commission a third-party review of your pay practices to make sure they’re competitive and equitable. Be present and open to honest feedback.
Consider whether morale would improve if employees got to see more of you in person, and vice versa. The eye-in-the-sky view is temptingly convenient for spotting problems, but it’s no substitute for immersing yourself in the vibe at ground level.
Or maybe the hands-off ownership model with monthly visits is your most viable option. That can still work so long as you manage through human connection and communication, instead of relying on electronic spies that capture people in their worst moments.