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Privacy

5 tricky issues in accommodating mental disabilities

09/01/2006

A top-performing employee is diagnosed with depression and now says her medication makes it impossible for her to make it to work on time. Must an employer change her work schedule? A job applicant volunteers that he is intellectually disabled but says he can perform his job with a job coach. Is that a reasonable accommodation? Are you prepared to answer those questions … and more?

New Pa. law restricts use of Social Security numbers

08/01/2006

Pennsylvania employers will have to go to greater lengths to keep employees’ and customers’ Social Security numbers private in the wake of new legislation signed by Gov. Rendell this summer …

Silence talk of employee health info; loose lips sink HR

07/01/2006

You know to keep employees’ health records confidential and locked away. Yet some HR professionals and supervisors aren’t so cautious when it comes to in-house talk of health information. Use the following court case to remind supervisors about the legal dangers of such gossip …

Heed legal limits of video monitoring in the workplace

07/01/2006

Monitoring employees with video cameras likely won’t violate employees’ privacy rights, but employers should make sure they don’t step over the line of reasonable privacy concerns. Stay in the legal zone by monitoring only public areas of the workplace, and use soundless recording …

Identity theft: How far must you go to protect workers’ data?

07/01/2006

The federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) of 2003 says businesses that negligently or purposely allow employees’ or customers’ personally identifiable data to fall into the wrong hands can face fines of up to $2,500 per infraction …

Heed the legal limits of video monitoring in the workplace

05/01/2006
Monitoring employees with video cameras probably doesn’t violate employee privacy rights, but employers should make sure they don’t step over the line of reasonable privacy concerns, such as monitoring dressing rooms …

Heed the Legal Risks of Employee Weight-Loss Programs

05/01/2006

Forcing your well-meaning health-improvement plan could backfire. Discrimination and privacy issues could derail your goal. Immunize your program against potential legal ills using these five tips …

Can you search employee lockers, purses, desks?

05/01/2006

Q. Can we open an employee’s personal things, like her locker, purse or desk drawer, if we suspect her of stealing? —A.G., Connecticut

Monitoring Internet usage? You’re not alone

04/01/2006

Three quarters of employers responding to a new American Management Association survey said they monitor how employees spend their time online at work …

Solving the Case of the ‘Stinky Staffer’

04/01/2006

Q. We have a “stinky employee” problem. How do I go about telling this person that she has a horrible smell and it’s now affecting some of my other staff? —S.H., Washington