Privacy Issues in the Workplace

4. Consequences of Prior Violations ..........................................................................................................94 5. Duties of Requesting and Receiving Employers ....................................................................................94 6. Record-Keeping .....................................................................................................................................94 C. Maintaining Drug and Alcohol Test Results ........................................................................................................94 S ECTION 5 Personnel Records and Files ........................................................................................................................................95 A. Internal Access to Personnel Records and Files ...................................................................................................95 1. Privacy Rights of Third Parties When Employees Inspect Own Personnel Files...................................95 2. Checklist: Employee Personnel File Inspection Procedure ....................................................................97 3. Controlling Internal Access to Personnel Files ......................................................................................97 B. Third Party Access to Personnel Actions, Records, and Files...................................................................................98 1. Brown Act ..............................................................................................................................................98 2. California Public Records Act..............................................................................................................102 3. Union Access to Personnel File and Contact Information ...................................................................110 4. Worksite Inspections of Personnel Files by Immigration Enforcement Agents ...................................111 C. Access to Personnel Records and Files in Litigation..........................................................................................114 1. Overview..............................................................................................................................................114 2. Electronically Stored Information ........................................................................................................115 3. EEOC/DFEH Requests for Information...............................................................................................115 4. Subpoenas for Personnel Records ........................................................................................................117 5. Discovery of Police Records ................................................................................................................118 D. Employer’s Obligation to Prevent Identity Theft ...............................................................................................121 1. Section 114 of the FACT Act...............................................................................................................121 2. Section 315 of the FACT Act...............................................................................................................122 S ECTION 6 Searches and Surveillance .........................................................................................................................................123 A. Searches of Work Areas .....................................................................................................................................123 1. Employees in General ..........................................................................................................................123 2. Public Safety Officers and Firefighters ................................................................................................130 3. Checklist: Guidelines for Conducting Searches ...................................................................................130 B. Searches of Employees and Employee Property ................................................................................................131 C. Monitoring of Electronic Communications ........................................................................................................132 D. Applicable Federal Law .....................................................................................................................................132 1. Reasonable Expectation of Privacy Standard Applies .........................................................................132 2. Federal Statutes Prohibit Interception of Electronic Transmissions.....................................................133 3. Business Use and Notice Exceptions ...................................................................................................135 E. Applicable California Law .................................................................................................................................138 F. California Electronic Communications Privacy Act – Application to Public Employer's Ability to Search Employer Owned Electronic Devices and Emails ..................................................................142 G. Guidelines For Electronic Communications in the Workplace ..........................................................................144 1. “Attorney-Client Communications” Sent Through Work E-Mail........................................................145 2. Other Types of “Privileged” Communications Sent Through Work E-Mail ..................................146 H. Video Surveillance of Employees ......................................................................................................................147 I. Tracking Devices................................................................................................................................................150 J. Biometrics ..........................................................................................................................................................151 K. Employer’s Affirmative Duty to Report Employees’ Unlawful Activity on the Internet ...................................152 S ECTION 7 Regulation of Personal and Off-Duty Conduct..........................................................................................................152 A. Workplace Relationships....................................................................................................................................153 1. Marital Status and Anti-Nepotism Policies ..........................................................................................153 2. Checklist: Guidelines for Anti-Nepotism Policies ...............................................................................154

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