Privacy Issues in the Workplace

3. When the Information Must Be Obtained ..............................................................................................96 4. Consequences of Prior Violations ..........................................................................................................96 5. Duties of Requesting and Receiving Employers ....................................................................................96 6. Record-Keeping .....................................................................................................................................96 C. Maintaining Drug and Alcohol Test Results ........................................................................................................97 S ECTION 5 Personnel Records and Files........................................................................................................................................97 A. Internal Access to Personnel Records and Files ...................................................................................................98 1. Privacy Rights of Third Parties When Employees Inspect Own Personnel Files...................................98 2. Checklist: Employee Personnel File Inspection Procedure ..................................................................100 3. Controlling Internal Access to Personnel Files ....................................................................................100 B. Third Party Access to Personnel Actions, Records, and Files.................................................................................101 1. Brown Act ............................................................................................................................................101 2. California Public Records Act..............................................................................................................105 3. Union Access to Personnel File and Contact Information ...................................................................114 4. Worksite Inspections of Personnel Files by Immigration Enforcement Agents ...................................115 C. Access to Personnel Records and Files in Litigation..........................................................................................117 1. Overview..............................................................................................................................................117 2. Electronically Stored Information ........................................................................................................118 3. EEOC/DFEH Requests for Information...............................................................................................119 4. Subpoenas for Personnel Records ........................................................................................................120 5. Discovery of Police Records ................................................................................................................122 D. Employer’s Obligation to Prevent Identity Theft ...............................................................................................125 1. Section 114 of the FACT Act...............................................................................................................125 2. Section 315 of the FACT Act...............................................................................................................127 3. The California Consumer Privacy Act .................................................................................................127 S ECTION 6 Searches and Surveillance .........................................................................................................................................128 A. Searches of Work Areas .....................................................................................................................................129 1. Employees in General ..........................................................................................................................129 2. Public Safety Officers and Firefighters ................................................................................................135 3. Checklist: Guidelines for Conducting Searches ...................................................................................136 B. Searches of Employees and Employee Property ................................................................................................136 C. Monitoring of Electronic Communications ........................................................................................................137 D. Applicable Federal Law .....................................................................................................................................138 1. Reasonable Expectation of Privacy Standard Applies .........................................................................138 2. Federal Statutes Prohibit Interception of Electronic Transmissions.....................................................139 3. Business Use and Notice Exceptions ...................................................................................................141 E. Applicable California Law .................................................................................................................................144 F. California Electronic Communications Privacy Act – Application to Public Employer's Ability to Search Employer Owned Electronic Devices and Emails ..............................................................................................149 G. Guidelines For Electronic Communications in the Workplace ..........................................................................151 1. “Attorney-Client Communications” Sent Through Work E-Mail........................................................152 2. Other Types of “Privileged” Communications Sent Through Work E-Mail ..................................153 H. Video Surveillance of Employees ......................................................................................................................154 I. Tracking Devices................................................................................................................................................157 J. Biometrics ..........................................................................................................................................................159 K. Employer’s Affirmative Duty to Report Employees’ Unlawful Activity on the Internet...................................159

S ECTION 7 Regulation of Personal and Off-Duty Conduct..........................................................................................................160

Privacy Issues in the Workplace ©2021 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore vi