As a result of remote working, bosses at work can now monitor what you are doing on your laptop even out of hours. A truly Orwellian invasion of privacy. Here's the article on the BBC online: 'The way my boss monitored me at home was creepy' We're all being conditioned these days to accept such behaviour as 'normal'. However the legality of such practices is open to question. What, for example, if an employee put some remote monitoring software on his bosses laptop such that the employee could see everything his boss was doing, even in his spare time? The employee would expect to end up in court. Yet in this regard his boss can do whatever he likes. And don't forget your boss is potentially spying on female employees as well.
I honestly don't think the OP understands what "monitoring" is, nor did the BBC hacks who wrote the article.
Don't use your company laptop for porn or to do your CV and cover letters you are sending out to other companies looking for a new job. Beyond that, when you remotely access your work computer, you are working on your work computer even if through your personal device. When you have a company owned device, don't be surprised if they know everything you do with it. They can also back that device up to servers and lock you out of it remotely faster than you can turn it on and log in if they bothered to invest in that capability.
This is no different than a employer using a GPS tracker in a company owned vehicle that you are driving. If you dont want to be tracked, use your own vehicle and laptop, and don't attend to personal business or write private emails on company time.
If you are that worried about your employer spying on you after hours on a company computer, then disable the microphone and cover up the camera with a piece of electrical tape.
If they own the laptop, then it is their right to put restrictions and monitoring on it. However, under most laws, they are required to notify you. If you don't pay attention to that piece of paper you signed, that's your problem. If the computer is your own, all they are allowed to monitor, or should be, is when you access remotely the programs you use for work. They can't require you to install the software on your own computer, as you may not own one.
I work from home. My employer entrusted me with a lap top so I can work on it. They can see what I watch on you tube on their laptop, but don’t really care. Fortunately I have my own laptop sitting right beside their lap top. I also have an iPad, an iPhone, a PS4 and an Apple TV in my office. I am not sure why I would use their bunk lap top for anything other than work.
This is not new. They have been spying on your computer at the office and in the field. They also track phone calls and GPS locations. None of that is "legally" spying. It's their property. They are paying you to do whatever thing you do so they have a right to do "spot checks" to make sure you are where you're supposed be, calling who you should be calling and surfing where you should be surfing. ETA: I'm not sure what you're implying about them spying on female employees. Why does that deserve a separate sentence?
Sounds like something written by folks who didn't seem to realize that a company can monitor what's happening on their property. I work from home and have been provided with a company laptop and cell phone. I don't do anything personal on the laptop, and the most I'll do on the phone is check the weather and possibly look up restaurants while on the road. Granted, it's a hipster junk iphone so I don't use it for a second longer than I need to anyway, but that's beside the point.
The individual interviewed in the article speaks of personal laptops linked to a company server: And despite of using a personal device it was claimed the company could still see their leisure time usage of their device: Did you take the time to read the detail in the main body of the article rather than just the headline?
Take the time to read the content of the main body of the article besides just the headline. Read my reply above to Hoosier8 in post #12.
You have no privacy. Your employer gave you the laptop for work use. The laptop belongs to your employer, not you, and your employer has every right to monitor your activities on the laptop that it owns. The Constitution is a contract between you and government, your employer and government and me and government, but there is no contract between you and your employer or between you and me.
always been that way, why one should not use a work laptop for private use the employee does not own the bosses laptop same with using work email not only can the boss see those emails, but people suing the company can get access to them don't trust the boss with your laptop camera, put a piece of gray tape over it (low tech and cheap)
Again, this is what the article quoted in my opening post said: You lot need a good, strong cup of coffee.
Um, the BBC is the British Broadcasting Corporation. The operand is "British." Britain does not have a constitution like the US does and they have nothing akin to our Bill of Rights and their labor laws are differently twisted.
To be fair, you mentioned the Constitution in the previous post and then went on how the UK doesn't have a constitution. So you're kinda jumping all over the place here.
It always amazes me how oblivious people can be. It doesn't take much to stop people from using your computer to spy on you. And it could be anyone, not just an employer. Simply disconnect the webcam, or place a small bit of masking tape over the lens. Easy peasy. You can also get bedroom curtains so people can't see in your window.