Employees posting workplace videos could expose confidential information about clients and colleagues, according to Sally Charlton, Senior HR Business Partner at Gi Group.
Charlton is urging employers to review how their contracts, social media policies and staff training address filming at work. Her warning covers both informal “day in the life” content and recordings of sensitive HR discussions.
She gives the example of a probation meeting being recorded for social media: a conversation intended for the employee and manager could include information about other people or clients. Sharing that material could create confidentiality and data protection risks, depending on what is captured and how it is used.
Make recording expectations clear
Charlton recommends making the rules on unapproved filming explicit and aligning them with existing phone and social media policies. Any proposed changes to contractual terms should be handled through the appropriate consultation and agreement process; employers can refer to Acas guidance on contract changes.
“Training your team on topics such as social media and mobile phone usage and rules is an often-overlooked step.”
Sally Charlton, Senior HR Business Partner, Gi Group
She says training should help both new starters and established employees understand how privacy and confidentiality obligations relate to everyday workplace behaviour. Policies alone may not prevent accidental disclosure if staff do not recognise the information they are sharing.
Agree how sensitive meetings are documented
Charlton also suggests discussing an agreed recording or transcript with those attending a meeting, where appropriate, to reduce the perceived need for covert recording.
For investigation meetings, Acas advises that recording should be allowed by the organisation’s policy and agreed by all parties. It says covert recording might be treated as misconduct or a breach of trust and confidence. That does not mean every recording automatically amounts to unlawful conduct.
Employers making their own recordings also need to consider data protection. ICO guidance on monitoring workers stresses the need for a lawful basis, transparency and proportionate processing. Agreement to record a meeting does not, by itself, settle every data protection requirement.
Why it matters for recruitment and HR
Recruitment and HR teams routinely handle candidate details, client requirements and sensitive employee discussions. Clear recording rules, practical training and an agreed way to document meetings can help protect that information without treating all workplace content creation as the same risk.
Company context
Gi Group says its UK business employs close to 500 people across 17 hub locations in 2026. These are company-supplied figures, not research into the prevalence of workplace filming. The announcement does not include a survey measuring how many employees record at work.
Image: supplied portrait of Sally Charlton, presented in a blue editorial frame.
