Privacy Issues in the Workplace

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

3-21 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....................................................................................................................13 A. Hiring Interviews, Questionnaires and Tests........................................................................................................14 B. Conducting Reference and Background Checks ..................................................................................................15 1. Information Available From Public Sources ..........................................................................................16 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...............................................................................................................................................20 C. Criminal Records..................................................................................................................................................29 1. Timing for When Employer Can Obtain Conviction History ................................................................29 2. Criminal Records an Employer Must Not Seek or Use..........................................................................32 3. Criminal Records an Employer Must Obtain .........................................................................................34 4. Criminal Records an Employer May Obtain ..........................................................................................34 D. Fingerprint Records ..............................................................................................................................................38 E. Polygraph Examinations.......................................................................................................................................40 1. Employees in General ............................................................................................................................40 2. Public Safety Officers and Firefighters ..................................................................................................41 F. Responding to Reference Checks .........................................................................................................................42 1. Tort Claims ............................................................................................................................................42 2. Privileged Communications ...................................................................................................................42 3. Statutory Claims.....................................................................................................................................44 4. Mandatory Response to Police Department Background Investigation .................................................45 5. Duty to Maintain Background Check Information.................................................................................45 S ECTION 3 Medical Testing and Medical Information ..................................................................................................................46 A. Applicable Laws...................................................................................................................................................46 1. The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) .....................................................................46 2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) .............................................................47 3. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)...................................................................................47 4. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) .........................................................................................47 5. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ............................................................................................48 6. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) ..................................................................................48 7. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Cal/OSHA)............................................48 8. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) ...................................................................48 9. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) ........................................................................................................48 10. California Labor Code Section 3762......................................................................................................49 11. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.............................................................................49

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