What is up with all the psychos attacking OP? She has every right to install security cameras in her house for surveillance -- she simply taped her bedroom (not the bathroom). No reasonable person would expect a cleaning professional to suddenly appear naked in the bedrooom -- come on! I don't think OP's behavior is weird at all.... Although it is true for VOICE recording she would need consent of the person being taped in DC (which is a two party consent state, I believe), I don't think this applies to visual images being taped (w/o voice)....

Secondly, YES, it is incredibly strange that the cleaning service showered at the house. WTF? If my cleaning service ASKED to shower I would probably say yes. But, I think it is strange not to ask first. I love alll the pseudo-liberals who are coming down harsh on OP for not being more compassionate the cleaning service... totally irrelevant here....the point is that her trust to the cleaning staff has been compromised to some extent...... And that this is not a normal business practice. THere are many jobs that we get dirty at and that doesnt' mean we get a chance to shower until we come home frmo work...

Plus, if the cleaning is being paid for by the hour then OP is paying the cleaning staff to shower! Crazy!

i am not surprised
My good friends father had a house cleaner that would come to his house once a week and had a key. He had known her that long. She even knew his schedule.
Until the one day he had to go home early because he was sick, when the cleaning lady was not working. And he found her in his house, in the bath, with the radio blaring

Anonymous wrote:Camera in the bedroom is also probably a no no. Remember the AOL guy in VA filming those kids changing in the bedroom.

I think it's different -- it's one thing to set up a camera to film people who you KNOW will be changing in a bedroom to capture images of them changing. That's beyond a doubt sleazy. It's another thing to set up a camera to film people who are supposed to be cleaning the bedroom, and ending up filming them engaged in activities that are beyond the scope of their duties/their authorization to be there.

That said, I don't know what the law is on this topic. I hope that it would recognize this distinction, though.

Anonymous wrote:... I'm an attorney so I'm not talking out of my ass completely...

Because attorneys *never* would do such a thing.

Camera in the bedroom is also probably a no no. Remember the AOL guy in VA filming those kids changing in the bedroom.

I am the OP. I have to say I am surprised at some of these responses. I merely posted the story and solicited opinions on if this type of thing would warrant finding another cleaning company. I followed up and said I did not think it's such a big deal and will be keeping them.

Somehow I have been vilified as some sort of perverse elitist who lives in a diamond palace with "travertine and glass" showers that records video in the bathroom. Let it be known I live in a 1200sf 30yo townhouse in Fairfax that needs some updating! The camera was in the bedroom, not the bathroom.

My family and I decided that it made more sense for us personally to hire professional cleaners and our time was spent more efficiently doing other things such as working to earn the money to pay these cleaners or spending time as a family. It's a matter of what your time is worth and for us outsourcing makes more sense. At no point did I make any comments degrading or looking down on the cleaning people.

There were a lot of assumptions generalizations in this thread, a lot of "these people" comments and assumptions that they live in group houses and have trouble accessing suitable bath facilities. And I am the one accused of being judgemental?

I realize that there are far worse pepople in this world than these housekeepers who merely showered in my bathroom, in fact it made me realize these housekeepers are great pepole. Thanks for helping me figure it out!

Dear gods: Cleaning people aren't hired to use your shower and your towels. I really don't care if their life is miserable...showering doesn't come with the paycheck.

I think I'd ask why my towel was in the laundry. That might stop it....and she wasn't filming the bathroom, but the bedroom, possibly to see if they actually did what they were supposed to. I can see not expecting to find one's maid naked in the master bedroom......

OMG

speechless

It's enabling to say the least. Would you hop into your friend's shower after dropping her off at home after a workout session at your gym?

same thing

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is upper middle class and considers herself as lucky, I hold myself to a high level of generosity and sensitivity especially when I comes to hired help, such as nannies, house keepers, and ANY labor than I inter act with. I have NO IDEA if these women have to do a second shift at another job. Maybe they don't have time to go home and shower? Maybe they live in cramped conditions and it is a hassle to get bathroom time. The point it, it causes me NO inconvenience and if this helps make their lives a bit more convenient, then I'm happy they are using my shower.

It just surprises me how the privileged are not more sensitive, grateful, and generous. At a very very bare minimum, I would be horrified to admit I filmed them naked and invaded their space as such. There is no way I would bring this issue up and have them suffer that humiliation and degradation of knowing they were filmed nude. I would destroy the video and never set it up again in that room without them knowing since they might be in a state of undress.

The fact OP set it up in the bedroom to test it is very strange.

Maybe it was a one time thing where they spilled something on themselves that day or something out of the ordinary happened so they needed to clean up soon afterward??

Anonymous wrote:OP. All very good feedback from a number of points of view here. Thanks. I guess it's not such a big deal and I will let it go. They do good work! It's not like they are stealing.

As far as the legality of video recording without their knowledge, I'll have to look into that. I would nto think it is illegal considering it's in MY house. The security system is made to monitor activity for security pruposes. How is this different from being recorded by security cameras throughout downtown DC or at any business? I didn't even think about it but I'll find out.

Check with your lawyer on this one, OP. It's not necessarily as black and white as you think. There are many factors that contribute to the determination of whether you have broken the law. I wouldn't rely on the Internet, I would talk to an employment or constitutional attorney.

Is this thread for real, OP? Did you make this up? LOL

Anonymous wrote:While I think it was weird (and possibly illegal-this is a bathroom, people, even if it is the OP's house) to tape them, it is also equally strange that they showered there-OP, aren't you just dying to ask them? I can see why you would hesitate as you would have to admit that you were spying but I would really love to know what their story would be. Just out of curiousity.

You are wierd too. Why else would they shower in her bathroom? How about they were probaby dirty and needed a good rinse?

I do think the OP has class, unlike a few other posters and I think she will in the end realize that this is no big deal, but for the other posters and their ilk who finds this an outrage, they would probably be complaining that the "hired help" smelled and did not want dirty smelly people cleaning their homes.

Have some empathy people. Many of these people work at night in restaurants or cleaning office buildings. They are often working multiple jobs. Maybe they do not have the time to go home and shower, but instead used your travertine with glass accent shower. Big deal. I also what to know exactly why many of you would feel so "violated". Its not as if they were having sex in your bed or sniffing your dirty panties. Its a shower and they don't leave a trace of themselves. The cost to you is no more than fifteen cents.

While I think it was weird (and possibly illegal-this is a bathroom, people, even if it is the OP's house) to tape them, it is also equally strange that they showered there-OP, aren't you just dying to ask them? I can see why you would hesitate as you would have to admit that you were spying but I would really love to know what their story would be. Just out of curiousity.

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is upper middle class and considers herself as lucky, I hold myself to a high level of generosity and sensitivity especially when I comes to hired help, such as nannies, house keepers, and ANY labor than I inter act with. I have NO IDEA if these women have to do a second shift at another job. Maybe they don't have time to go home and shower? Maybe they live in cramped conditions and it is a hassle to get bathroom time. The point it, it causes me NO inconvenience and if this helps make their lives a bit more convenient, then I'm happy they are using my shower.

It just surprises me how the privileged are not more sensitive, grateful, and generous. At a very very bare minimum, I would be horrified to admit I filmed them naked and invaded their space as such. There is no way I would bring this issue up and have them suffer that humiliation and degradation of knowing they were filmed nude. I would destroy the video and never set it up again in that room without them knowing since they might be in a state of undress.

The fact OP set it up in the bedroom to test it is very strange.

I could not agree more! OP is crass and proves money doesn't buy class. I find her post to be morally bankrupt. She should clean her own house from now on. And you are correct, she invaded their privacy. The poor woman USED her filthy towel to dry off. I would be ashamed OP for filming and for posting this.

I agree with the PP who suggestee Barbara Ehernrich's book Nickel & Dimed. I have no issues with them bathing in my house. The company we use cannot manage to lock our door when they leave. Honestly, the cleaning people can bathe and eat my food as long as they leave it clean and lock the door. They are helping me.