The United Kingdom privacy watchdog to probe Barclays for monitoring staff

On Monday, the United Kingdom’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), said that it would investigate Barclays Plc. (BARC.L) over allegations that the bank spied on its staff.

The bank has been accused of keeping tabs on its staff members during work hours after a system change to track how employees spent their time at work. Barclays decided to change its bank system called “Sapience” earlier this year. However, the ICO said that it could be a breach of privacy to its workers.

“People expect that they can keep their personal lives private and that they are also entitled to a degree of privacy in the workplace. If organisations wish to monitor their employees, they should be clear about its purpose and that it brings real benefits. Organisations also need to make employees aware of the nature, extent, and reasons for any monitoring,” a spokesperson for the ICO said in an interview.