Dear Rabbi, I have a question about yichud – in the law firm where I work. It often happens that I am alone with three (sometimes two) women. * The door is locked, and whoever wants to enter needs to press the buzzer – at which point he is buzzed in and allowed to enter. The door is see-through, but not all parts of the room can be seen through the door. (i.e., There are certain areas that cannot be seen through the door.)

There are certain employees who have keys and can enter at any time, but there are certain times when they obviously will not enter (e.g, b/c they are not coming to work that day, or b/c they are away for lunch, or b/c they are in court, etc).

Obviously, whoever presses the buzzer (clients) will be allowed in immediately.

I need to know if this situation is a problem of yichud.

Thanks.

*In the early morning hours, I may even be alone with one woman, but at that time, the other employees are on their way and will come in shortly.

A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that you may possibly be lenient in the situation you describe. He suggested that your wife (assuming you are married) should phone you every day at different times. He also strongly suggested installing video-surveillance (a recording machine) so in vogue today. Besides helping greatly on yichud issues, it has been proven to be a wise and valuable trouble preventive device to anyone in your circumstances, as cases of work gender harassment and false accusations abound.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a