Workplace Privacy Policies
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW INSTITUTE 28th Annual Public Sector EEO and Employment Law Conference August 28, 2009 – San Francisco, CA Workplace Privacy Policies Robert D. Brownstone, Esq.* _________________________________________________________________________ *Robert D. Brownstone is the Law & Technology Director at Fenwick & West LLP. He advises clients on electronic discovery, information-security, electronic information management and retention/destruction policies and protocols. Mr. Brownstone also collaborates with clients as to computer solutions enabling compliance with legal obligations. A nationwide advisor, speaker and writer on many law and technology issues, he is frequently quoted in the press as an expert on electronic information. He also teaches Electronic Discovery classes at the University of San Francisco School (USF) of Law and Santa Clara University School of Law. Mr. Brownstone is a member of: four state bars; the NELI Advisory Board; and the executive committee of the State Bar of California’s Law Practice Management and Technology (LPMT) Section. Before joining Fenwick & West in 2000, Mr. Brownstone had a varied 13-year career as a litigator, law school administrator, law school teacher and consultant. He received his J.D. magna cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 1986 and his B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1982. THESE MATERIALS ARE MEANT TO ASSIST IN A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT LAW RELATING TO PRIVACY AND ELECTRONIC INFORMATION MANAGEMENT. THEY ARE NOT TO BE REGARDED AS LEGAL ADVICE. ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS WITH PARTICULAR QUESTIONS SHOULD SEEK ADVICE OF COUNSEL. © 2009 Fenwick & West LLP Robert D. Brownstone advises clients on electronic discovery, on electronic information management and on retention/destruction policies and protocols. He also collaborates with clients on computer solutions enabling compliance with legal duties <www.fenwick.com/services/2.23.0.asp?s=1055>. A nationwide speaker and writer on many law and technology issues <www.fenwick.com/attorneys/4.2.1.asp?aid=544#publications>, Mr. Brownstone is frequently quoted in the press as an expert on electronic information <www.fenwick.com/attorneys/4.2.1.asp?aid=544#Featured>. He also teaches Electronic Discovery classes at the University of San Francisco School (USF) of Law and Santa Clara University School of Law. Mr. Brownstone is a member of: four state bars (including California and New York); the Information Systems Auditing and Control Association (ISACA) and the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA). Mr. Robert D. Brownstone Brownstone is also the Vice-Chair-Elect of the executive committee of the State Law & Technology Director Bar of California’s Law Practice Management and Technology (LPMT) Section. <www.fenwick.com/attorneys/ 4.2.1.asp?aid=544> In 2007, he was named to the National Employment Law Institute (NELI) Advisory Board. In 2006, Mr. Brownstone was named a Northern California Phone: 650.335.7912 Super Lawyer and featured in a cover story of ABA’s Law Practice Magazine. Fax: 650.938.5200 <www.fenwick.com/pressroom/5.1.1.asp?mid=329&loc=FN>. E-mail: rbrownstone@fenwick.com Before joining Fenwick & West in 2000, he had a varied 13-year career as a Emphases: litigator, law school administrator, law school teacher and consultant. Records Retention/Destruction From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Brownstone was the Moot Court Program Coordinator Electronic Discovery at the USF School of Law. During the 1997-98 school year, he also acted as Electronic Information Management Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Legal Research & Writing Compliance at JFKU School of Law in Walnut Creek, California. From 1992 to 2000, Mr. Privacy and Information Security Brownstone taught Legal Research Writing & Analysis at USF Law. Between 1990 and 1995, Mr. Brownstone had key roles in some publicized Representative Clients: cases. From 1986 to 1990, when Mr. Brownstone practiced in New York, he Capcom Entertainment, Inc. was on plaintiffs' counsel's team in the civil suit against Claus von Bulow and Daimler Chrysler Corporation on Lowell Milken's defense team in multiple Drexel Burnham Lambert matters. Equinix, Inc. Interwoven In 1986, Mr. Brownstone received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Omidyar Network Law School, where he was a Notes Editor and a published author on the Opsware Inc. Brooklyn Law Review. In 1982, Mr. Brownstone received his B.A. in English literature and political science from Swarthmore College. Port of Oakland Proofpoint, Inc. Xilinx, Inc. Workplace Privacy Policies Materials – TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PAPER TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... i Body of Paper ...................................................................................................................... 1 APPENDICES App. A – SLIDES ................................................................................................................ A-1 App. B – “E-MAIL’S NINE LIVES”..................................................................................... B-1 App. C – SAMPLE SUMMARY MEMO RE: TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE (AND LACK-OF-EMPLOYEE-PRIVACY) POLICY........................................... C-1 App. D – SAMPLES – GENERIC POLICIES....................................................................... D-1 SAMPLE TECHNOLOGY USE AND LACK-OF-PRIVACY POLICY 1 .................. D-1 SAMPLE TECHNOLOGY USE AND LACK-OF-PRIVACY POLICY 2 .................. D-6 SAMPLE ELECTRONIC MAIL POLICY ................................................................ D-10 SAMPLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT .................................................... D-14 SAMPLE BLOGGING POLICY.............................................................................. D-15 SAMPLE FCRA DISCLOSURE FOR ADVERSE ACTION BASED ON NON-FACT ACT INVESTIGATIONS ................................................. D-17 App. E – BIBLIOGRAPHY # 1 – ELEC. INFO. MGMT. (EIM) RESOURCES ...............E-1 App. F – BIBLIOGRAPHY # 2 – COMPLIANCE RESOURCES (some) – R. Brownstone and Kevin Moore (Fenwick & West LLP) ................................F-1 App. G – BIBLIOGRAPHY # 3 – COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TERMINOLOGY – Online Glossaries Links List..............................................................................G-1 App. H – BIBLIOGRAPHY # 4 – DETROIT TEXT-MESSAGING SCANDAL – Additional Articles..............................................................................................H-1 i PAPER TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page I. INTRODUCTION – THE MODERN LANDSCAPE ..........................................................1 A. Physical Conduct PLUS Digital Activity...........................................................1 B. Strange Things People Memorialize – Overview of Liability Risks ...............4 1. Employees’ Damaging Emails...............................................................4 2. Employees’ Damaging Internet Use and Postings ..............................7 a. Internet Activity...........................................................................7 b. Posts on Chatrooms, Blogs, Wikis, Social Networking Sites, Twitter, etc ........................................8 (i) Company Confidential and Trade Secret Information ....................................................................10 (ii) Harassment....................................................................12 (iii) Discrimination ...............................................................13 (iv) Concerted Activity........................................................13 c. Damaging Metadata and Embedded Data ..............................14 3. Prospective Employees’ (Applicants’) Internet Activity ...................16 II. MONITORING OF EMPLOYEES’ ELECTRONIC ACTIVITIES ....................................16 A. Introduction ......................................................................................................16 B. Legality – Some Justifications and Some Countervailing Concerns ..........17 1. Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Wiretap And Stored Communications Act) ..............................................................17 a. Wiretap Act as Applied to E-Mails in Transit..........................19 (i) Majority View – Interception Must be Contemporaneous with Transmission........................19 (ii) Newer Minority View – Interception need NOT be Contemporaneous with Transmission...................20 b. Stored Communications Act as Shield and Sword ...............22 (i) Shield: Employer Access to Stored E-mails, “Private” Web-Based E-mail Systems, Pagers and Employee Web Sites.................................................................22 (ii) Sword: Affirmative Claim Based on Snooping by Former Employee...............................................27 2. State Analogues to the ECPA..............................................................29 i PAPER TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 3. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”).........................................30 4. Countervailing Concern # 1 – Protected Union Activity Under the National Labor Relations Act, et al. (“NLRA”) .............................38 5. Countervailing Concern # 2 – Avoiding Invasion of Privacy Claims....................................................................................................41 III. INVESTIGATIONS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS.....................................................44 A. Credit Report Information Under FCRA/FACTA and