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Privacy

HIPAA health care privacy rules: They do apply to you

04/01/2002
It’s a common misconception: Employers have been lulled into thinking that the strict privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) apply only to health care providers …

Personnel files: What to keep, and where

02/01/2002

Q. What should we keep in personnel files? —G.T., Missouri

Don’t invite EEOC to fish through your files

01/01/2002
When dealing with the federal government, sometimes too much compliance can get you in trouble. What happened? When the Equal Employment Oppor-tunity Commission (EEOC) got a complaint about racial discrimination …

Evacuation plan? New guide helps you avoid ADA complaints

01/01/2002
If you’re revamping your workplace evacuation plans in the wake of Sept. 11, check out new guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The problem: In determining who …

Filing suit to protect trade secrets won’t kill your arbitration rights

12/01/2001
MicroStrategy put the head of its HR department, Betty Lauricia, on paid leave soon after she filed a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Lauricia had an arbitration …

Build a firewall against Internet, e-mail liabilities

12/01/2001
Whether you have a work force of three or 3,000, any time you let a worker use your e-mail or Internet service, you’re putting your company at risk for lawsuits and …

Perry Mason meets e-Bay: Should you shop for lawyers online?

08/01/2001
If you need a lawyer to handle an employment issue, you can now go online, announce your legal needs and wait for offers from interested lawyers. But as with many things …

Privacy Laws Protect Most Phone Conversations

08/01/2001

Q. I’m considering instituting a policy at my company that would permit me to record my employees’ phone conversations. Can I record employee phone calls without their consent? —P.C., Michigan

Limit Employee Access to Personnel Files

08/01/2001

Q. I keep on file each employee’s application, résumé, performance evaluations and any other praise or disciplinary records. Do I need to provide my employees with access to their files? And, if so, do I have to show them everything? —S.K., New Hampshire

Confidentiality rules protect EAP counselors

05/01/2001
Employee assistance program (EAP) counselors are covered by the same privilege of confidentiality that’s granted to licensed psychotherapists, says the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This is the first time …