QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario companies with at least 25 employees must now have a written policy in place detailing whether they electronically monitor their staff's activities during work, and if so under what circumstances.
Under legislation passed in April, employers had six months to draft the policy.
The deadline was Oct. 11.
Provincial guidelines state that examples of electronic monitoring include checking the websites employees visit while working, reading their email, tracking where they drive in company vehicles via GPS, monitoring cellphone use, and using a sensor to track how quickly employees scan items at a grocery store check-out.
The policy must include the purpose of collecting the information.
It's required to be disclosed to all staff within 30 days, regardless of whether employees are working in an office, remotely, or in the field.
Although surveillance in the workplace is legal, employers previously were not required to inform their staff that they were practising it.
