NEW BOOK DETAILS DOS AND DON'TS OF WORKPLACE PRIVACY

Privacy in the Workplace: Rights, Procedures and Policies Tells How to
Limit Employer Liability

August 31, 1994 -- HORSHAM, Pa. -- You think an employee is stealing
company property. Can you legally install a hidden camera to monitor his
actions?

You're interviewing a job applicant. Can you ask her about drug or alcohol
abuse?

You've placed an employment ad in a newspaper. Are you at risk for
litigation, professional error or embarrassment?

Answers to these and other vital workplace privacy questions can be found
in Privacy in the Workplace: Rights, Procedures and Policies. Written by
legal expert Kurt H. Decker, Esq., the 500-page guide details workplace
privacy principles and offers practical suggestions to limit employer
liability.

"The overall hiring procedure should ensure that only relevant or
job-related information necessary for employment decisions is collected,
maintained and used," said Decker. "Confidentiality should be stressed to
minimize privacy-related claims against employers."

When hiring, personnel policies, handbooks and manuals should be should be
examined to ensure they contain no promises the employer is unable or
unwilling to keep, according to Decker.

He suggestes:

* Avoiding terms like "permanent employee"
* Changing "probationary period" to "initial review period"
* Including in each employee handbook statements such as:
  -- "policies are subject to unilaterial change without notice"
  -- "the handbook does not create a binding employment contract"
  -- "work rules or a list of termination causes contained in any
      employer publication are not all-inclusive"

In addition to providing the latest research and information on procedures
for reference checks, employee desk searches and maintaince of employee
records, Privacy in the Workplace details how to deal with initial
employment contacts, data verification, medical concerns and an employee's
conduct outside the workplace. It also tells when surveillance policies
can be implemented.

"Employers use surveillance for various reasons which may or may not be
legal, depending on the circumstances and the scope of the surveillance,"
said Decker. Whether watching a union meeting, overlooking the workplace
for job performance evaluations, investigating possible theft or checking
on employment conditions, employers should always review the federal and
state statutes regulating workplace privacy, according to Decker.

He recommends the following to limit employer liability when surveillance
or phone monitoring is necessary:

* Clearly notifying employees that job performance may be
  subject to monitoring
* Obtaining the employee's written consent to performance
  monitoring as a condition of employment
* Disclosing to employees what mechanical or electronic
  devices may be used for monitoring job performance
* Disclosing to employees when, where and how these mechanical
  or electronic devices may be used

Privacy in the Workplace also includes: a summary of state and federal laws
affecting workplace privacy; suggested forms to ensure compliance with
state and federal laws; details of the controversial, proposed federal
"Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act;" and a "how to" guide to follow
when conducting a privacy audit.

"From the moment individuals first confront their employers, privacy rights
are placed into issue and may have to be relinquished," Decker said. "This
book covers virtually every aspect of what employers can and can't do when
confronted with privacy issues."

Copies of LRP Publications' Privacy in the Workplace: Rights, Procedures
and Policies are available for $62.50, plus $3.50 shipping and handling.
To order or for more information, readers should call 800-341-7874, ext.
274.

LRP Publications is a broad-based legal publisher in Horsham, PA. offering
publications, videos, software and newsletters covering legal issues
concerning employment, education, bankruptcy, elder care, workers'
compensation, disability, the family, personal injury and the federal
sector.

LRP Publications
747 Dresher Rd, PO Box 980
Horsham, PA 19044-0980
215-784-0860,  fax 215-784-9639

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