Workplace Privacy – Testing, Checking, and Monitoring Employees

Employee privacy rights in the workplace are often loosely defined by various state laws and some federal regulations. But mostly it’s a private company’s own policies that dictate whether job applicants and current employees can be tested for drugs, checked for criminal or negative financial activities, and otherwise monitored while at work. You’ll want to stay current on your state’s privacy rules as you craft reasonable privacy and activity policies that clearly define acceptable and unacceptable workplace behaviors. Written policies afford you more control over employee activities for the good of the company; and communicating them to employees builds trust and helps to prevent misunderstandings among your workers.