Privacy Issues in the Workplace

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

7-19 S

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 and The Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act .................................................................................................................12 S ECTION 2 Hiring Inquiries and Background Checks....................................................................................................................12 A. Hiring Interviews, Questionnaires and Tests........................................................................................................13 B. Conducting Reference and Background Checks ..................................................................................................15 1. Information Available From Public Sources ..........................................................................................15 2. Obtain a Waiver .....................................................................................................................................16 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 C. Criminal Records..................................................................................................................................................28 1. Timing for When Employer Can Obtain Conviction History ................................................................29 2. Criminal Records an Employer Must Not Seek or Use..........................................................................31 3. Criminal Records an Employer Must Obtain .........................................................................................33 4. Criminal Records an Employer May Obtain ..........................................................................................33 D. Fingerprint Records ..............................................................................................................................................37 E. Polygraph Examinations.......................................................................................................................................39 1. Employees in General ............................................................................................................................39 2. Public Safety Officers and Firefighters ..................................................................................................40 F. Responding to Reference Checks .........................................................................................................................40 1. Tort Claims ............................................................................................................................................41 2. Privileged Communications ...................................................................................................................41 3. Statutory Claims.....................................................................................................................................43 4. Mandatory Response to Police Department Background Investigation .................................................43 5. Duty to Maintain Background Check Information.................................................................................44 S ECTION 3 Medical Testing and Medical Information ..................................................................................................................45 A. Applicable Laws...................................................................................................................................................45 1. The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) .....................................................................45 2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) .............................................................46 3. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)...................................................................................46 4. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) .........................................................................................46 5. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ............................................................................................46 6. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) ..................................................................................47 7. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Cal/OSHA)............................................47 8. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) ...................................................................47 9. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) ........................................................................................................47 10. California Labor Code Section 3762......................................................................................................47 11. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.............................................................................48 12. California Patient Privacy Protections ...................................................................................................49

Privacy Issues in the Workplace ©2019 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore iv