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Fatwa CenterInstalling surveillance cameras in the workplace to overlook the workers
Question
Assalamu Alaikum I work in a pizza restaurant. The owner is a very nice practicing muslim. All the employee of the restaurant are also good practicing muslims. The owner of that shop is very kind and good with payment. One thing that bothers us a lot, is that he has placed a video camera inside the kitchen to overlook the workers. As all the workers are good muslims with great concern of amanah, is it allowed for the owner to do surveillance secretly. It is good to be noted that he doesn't have any other camera inside his restaurant. He just wants to check on his employees. As long as I know, it is not allowed to spy on muslims, and it is also disliked to look for muslim brothers faults. So in this case is he doing something unlawful or we are just over reacting? Jazakallah khair.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His Slave and Messenger.
In principle, an employer should trust his employees. He should also trust that they follow their consciences and values of honesty and mindfulness of Allaah; and Allaah is sufficient as Protector and Disposer of affairs. However, there is nothing wrong with an employer or someone who acts on his behalf conducting surprise inspections in order to check on the employees to make them alert and heedful of such inspection. The employer also has the right to install surveillance cameras in the workplace on condition that the purpose of installing them is merely to monitor the workflow and make sure that everything is running smoothly and efficiently. This is not considered spying on others as long as the employees are aware of the presence of these cameras. Rather, it is commendable of an employer to do so in order to shoulder his due responsibility towards his business and make sure that the work is running smoothly and so that he would thus feel at reassured. Moreover, installing cameras in workplaces and other places has many benefits and has become very common; you hardly find a place with no installed surveillance cameras either to monitor the employees or for security purposes and the like.
Allaah knows best.
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