Photographing employees for company material

[Pyromaniac]

If the owner/manager of a buisness whats photos of the employees preforming there normal duties, and those photos are only going to be used in company training and instructional materials do you need a model release from each employee?

The reason I ask is, I was recenty ask to do some photo's of employees at a local community college that they are going to use in a power point presentaion for training. Since they work for the college and the college is the only one that will ever use the photos, does it become a case of you work for me (the college) and right now your job is to let him (the photographer/me) take your picture, or would that still require a model release from each employee?

[PhotosGuy]

Short answer is no. You aren't using the pics so you aren't liable. That doesn't mean that you can't be sued! Anyone can be sued for anything. Winning is something else, though. ;-)
Check with HR & see if pics at work are covered in the contract. Check re identifiable students & their 'contract' with the college, too, just to be safe. ;-)
If this is not a "work for hire" situation where you give up all rights to the pics, & it were me & I thought I might be able to sell the pics elsewhere, I'd get releases from anyone on the staff BEFORE I took the shots, + from any student who could be identified after, though I'd take pains to avoid that last if possible.

[BlueTit]

I have no idea of the legal issues, but I know in the company I work for a few years ago two employees posed in front of one of the employees house for a photo to promote home insurance. No release was requested and both employees particapated quite happliy, however about a month later the wife of one of the employees involved saw the photo in a newspaper ad and went balistic, kinda understandable when you think about it, her husband standing outside her house with another women! Any all the promotional material had to be shredded and new photos taken, pretty costly at the time.

So personally just to cover yourself I would be a lot happier with a release. Also what happens if an employee that is photographed leaves the company, they may insist on their image been removed from presentations etc.

As I say I have no idea of the legal postion, this is just from personal experience here.