Personal protection at work
Searching on staff
Searches on people and their possessions are not covered by the Data Protection Act unless a record is kept of the search. The authorization to keep such a record would depend on the legality of conducting the above mentioned search.
The constitution states that everyone enjoys privacy and that no body examination or search of a person or their objects is permitted except by a court order or special legal authority. Special legal authority in this connection is for example the authority in police law that allows police to search on individuals who have been arrested.
Employers are not legally allowed to have searches carried out on their employees and therefore the employee must give his own free and independent consent to the search. Otherwise, the employer must call the police if he suspects the employee of theft or other criminal conduct.
