Danish Supreme Court Finds Surveillance of Employee Illegal

A food company improperly surveilled an employee at work in Denmark, the nation’s Supreme Court found.

The employee’s manager gave disciplinary warnings after viewing camera images even though the surveillance was supposedly used for purposes such as theft prevention and safety, the court found Monday. The tribunal awarded the worker 20,000 kroner ($3,000) in damages.

The ruling shows there are limits on employers’ rights to monitor workspaces, Bird & Bird Attorney Michael Gorm Madsen said. “Constant real time surveillance of employee behavior via an app exceeded what was necessary,” he said.

The court partially overturned a previous Eastern High Court ...