Privacy Issues in the Community College Workplace

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

3-21 C

S ECTION 1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................8 A. Goal of Workbook...........................................................................................................................................8 B. Types of Employer Liability in Privacy Arena ...............................................................................................8 1. Federal and State Constitutions ...................................................................................................................... 8 2. Common Law Torts...................................................................................................................................... 10 3. Federal and California Statutes..................................................................................................................... 12 4. California Public Safety Officer’s Procedural Bill of Rights Act ............................................................... 12 S ECTION 2 Hiring Inquiries and Background Checks....................................................................................................................13 A. Hiring Interviews, Questionnaires and Tests.................................................................................................14 B. Conducting Reference and Background Checks ...........................................................................................15 1. Information Available From Public Sources................................................................................................ 15 2. Obtain a Waiver ............................................................................................................................................ 17 3. Confidentiality of Sources Providing References ........................................................................................ 17 4. Policy for Responding to Reference Checks................................................................................................ 18 5. Credit Checks and “Consumer” Reports – Use is Limited to Decision Involving Specific Job Categories ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 6. Peace Officer Background Investigations .................................................................................................... 27 C. Criminal Records...........................................................................................................................................28 1. Exemption from Statute Limiting Background Checks that Reveal Conviction History ........................... 28 2 Criminal Records an Employer Must Not Seek or Use ............................................................................... 31 3. Criminal Records an Employer Must Obtain............................................................................................... 32 4. Criminal Records an Employer May Obtain................................................................................................ 33 D. Fingerprint Records.......................................................................................................................................35 E. Polygraph Examinations................................................................................................................................36 1. Employees in General................................................................................................................................... 36 2. Public Safety Officers................................................................................................................................... 37 F. Responding to Reference Checks ..................................................................................................................37 1. Tort Claims ................................................................................................................................................... 37 2. Privileged Communications ......................................................................................................................... 38 3. Statutory Claims............................................................................................................................................ 40 4. Mandatory Response to Police Department Background Investigation...................................................... 40 5. Duty to Maintain Background Check Information ...................................................................................... 41 S ECTION 3 Medical Testing and Medical Information ..................................................................................................................41 A. Applicable Laws............................................................................................................................................41 1. The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA)........................................................................... 42 2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) .................................................................. 42 3. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) ........................................................................................ 43 4. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)............................................................................................... 43 5. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA).................................................................................................. 43 6. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) ....................................................................................... 43 7. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Cal/OSHA) ................................................ 44 8. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA)......................................................................... 44 9. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) .............................................................................................................. 44 10. California Labor Code Section 3762............................................................................................................ 44 11. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) .................................................................... 44

Privacy Issues in the Community College Workplace ©2021 (c) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore iv