Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing:

The cameras (is it 24 cameras or 24-hour cameras?) is super-creepy. I'd be bringing a squirt gun to work to hose down the lenses every hour.

Managing by email isn't great but it is pretty common these days. At least everything he says to you is well documented.

All of your emails at your office email address are subject to inspection by management. This is common and legal. My DH is in IT and it is not unheard of for management to ask him to pull up the emails to and from a particular employee for the past year (or more). It's usually only done when they are questioning performance or strange activity (such as theft) but it can be done at any time. You probably signed something saying you understood that your emails are not private.

Anonymous wrote:op says: I'd like to stay, I like my job apart from not knowing what to think about this psycho boss. I don't want to necessarily speak with upper management about him, but I don't feel like talking to my boss would result in a good outcome.
Besides leaving, what would you do? Is this even legal? It seems so out of the ordinary for a regular job.

I assume the cameras are legal. It actually happened at my federal government job. There was an IG report written about it. She's still working for the government too. "Money aside, the IG report also paints Hanna as a bit of a nightmare boss. According to a preliminary report into complaints, while a regional director in Oklahoma, Hanna installed 40 extra security cameras for her office “with live feeds, to monitor employees.” Some underlings “were physically shaking” during interviews about her, according to an investigator, “and feared retribution,” the report notes" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/doi-official-overspent-on-washington-detail-ig-says/2013/05/08/f68ad4ec-b735-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_blog.html

Anonymous wrote:op says: I'd like to stay, I like my job apart from not knowing what to think about this psycho boss. I don't want to necessarily speak with upper management about him, but I don't feel like talking to my boss would result in a good outcome.
Besides leaving, what would you do? Is this even legal? It seems so out of the ordinary for a regular job.

+1 If others are leaving, that is a good indicator that management is either unaware or is ignoring the situation. He sounds like he has some sort of paranoid personality disorder and is subjecting his workplace to unauthorized surveillance schemes.

Here's the thing:

The cameras (is it 24 cameras or 24-hour cameras?) is super-creepy. I'd be bringing a squirt gun to work to hose down the lenses every hour.

Managing by email isn't great but it is pretty common these days. At least everything he says to you is well documented.

All of your emails at your office email address are subject to inspection by management. This is common and legal. My DH is in IT and it is not unheard of for management to ask him to pull up the emails to and from a particular employee for the past year (or more). It's usually only done when they are questioning performance or strange activity (such as theft) but it can be done at any time. You probably signed something saying you understood that your emails are not private.

op says: I'd like to stay, I like my job apart from not knowing what to think about this psycho boss. I don't want to necessarily speak with upper management about him, but I don't feel like talking to my boss would result in a good outcome.
Besides leaving, what would you do? Is this even legal? It seems so out of the ordinary for a regular job.

I thought this was going to be a post about a boss who doesn't like to have in person conversations or meetings or something. I'm quite surprised and have no useful advice other than try to get out.

Private, not a security related occupation. Research and healthcare.

Fed or private?

Exactly. I have no idea. That's why I'm posting here. I can't figure that out.

What a whack job. Why does upper management tolerate this type of hostile work environment?

He openly says he has spy email to spy on his family at home. I wouldn't think he would t do it here at work, not that I care, but it seems a huge waste of time.

If you were upper management, what would you think of this tool ?

There's been a ton of turn over, and this is a professional skilled work environment. We are all graduate and PhD level people.

Wow, your post title really buried the lede!! 24 cameras?!?

What makes you think he reads your email?

Anonymous wrote:It is creepy. Not only that, he set up 24 cameras in a 20x30 area and monitors from his office, which he never leaves. I can't believe upper management thinks he's effective. Probably plays with himself all day. I hope he's hugely disappointed by the cameras. I don't know what he thinks he's going to find. Plus I suspect he reads all of our email. Wtf?

It is creepy. Not only that, he set up 24 cameras in a 20x30 area and monitors from his office, which he never leaves. I can't believe upper management thinks he's effective. Probably plays with himself all day. I hope he's hugely disappointed by the cameras. I don't know what he thinks he's going to find. Plus I suspect he reads all of our email. Wtf?