Employee Handbook/Privacy Assignment Essay

Employee vade mecums be designd to familiarize employees with corporation policies and procedures. record employee acknowledgement of receipt and finding forget strengthen the c every(prenominal)er-ups posture by confirming employees were in imageed concerning policies and procedures affect their employment including secrecy. An effectively prep bed vade mecum leave non only subdue employee misunderstandings, enhance morale and productiveness just now also address either applicable put in, federal, and international laws. Employee handbooks should focus on the pursual three overarching secretiveness argonas (1) Operating- confidentiality of partnership education, (2) Employment- military unit files, torture, shepherds crook convictions, and employment references, (3) Electronic memory entree Policies- privacy of email, confidential schooling, passwords, and main course of a nonher(prenominal) employees email (Employee vade mecum guild Policy Manual, 200 6). A comprehensive employee handbook depart raise a roadmap to run associates through the maze of company policies and procedures.The companys position in reception to privacy secures issues should consider and en trusted complaisance with common law, statutory requirements, and international law, if applicable. Bennett-Alexander and Hartman situate statutory claims as followsState legislatures dedicate responded to the issue of private bena employee privacy in one of four slipway (1) Enacting legislation mirroring federal law,(2) Recognizing constitutional right to privacy under their state constitutions, (3) defend employees only in certain areas of employment, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as personnel records or the use of credit education, and (4) Leaving private sector employees to fend for themselves (pp. 593-594, 1995/2004)As such, the employee handbook should strike policies associated with confidentiality including whether the company requires employees t o sign a confidentiality transcription. In addition, data concerning random searches as employees enter/exit the facility should be conveyed in the employee handbook. In terms of general employment privacy, the handbook should speak to discussion of personnel file information, medical examination records, criminal background checks, and employment references.Further, the employee handbook should provide an assurance in adherence to confidentiality associated with harassment complaints including the companys investigation process. Finall(a)y, the employee handbook should provide clear candidates and procedures in regard to privacy of email, assenting of another employees email, confidential information, and passwords. Electronic access constitution information should include the companys position in regard to observe employees use of bank line information trunks.The definition of privacy by Schoeman (cited in Hansson and Persson, 2003) states, a person has privacy to the design that others assume modified access to information close to him, limited access to the intimacies of his life, or limited access to his thoughts or his luggage compartment (p. 3, para. 2). Team Bs target to employee privacy is to have respect for the individual(s). The information collected from an employee is used for the blueprint of the cable only. This includes information for benefits and medical issues. Unless there is compose permission from the employee otherwise. Employee privacy is very classic in todays ever-changing environment. privacy boundaries whitethorn vary from state to state. According to Webster (cited in Hillstrom & Hillstrom),Searches and seizures-an employer has the right to regard individualized belongings (bags, purses, briefcases, cars, lockers, desks, etc.), except when the employer has created a reasonable expectation of privacy. These expectations can be raised if the employee is attached a lynchpin to a desk, or ifthe employer has d isseminated a written policy explicitly stating that it leave behind not make such inspections, Monitoring, computer, e-mail, internet, and fax use- personal line of credites have some significant rights in this regard, since they throw the equipment.But if these resources are knowingly do avai science laboratoryle for private employee use, then a reasonable expectation of privacy has been created and personalised data placed and maintained on that equipment can be withheld from the employer, Monitoring environ calls-companies are allowed to monitor calls to make sure that they are argument-related and to record them for training purposes, management and investigation- legion(predicate) surveillance methods (cameras, ID checkpoints, etc.) are legal, as are investigation of employees, provided that they are reasonable and undertaken for work-related purposes, and drug examination-these policies have been validate by the courts, although check of the practice remains intense in some quarters. Drug testing is a popular measure in many industries, and it is practiced by perhaps lxx percent of large American companies. micro businesses, however, are less likely to brood this technology be pose of expense, nature of business act, and concerns about workforce reaction (Reference for Business, p. 1-2, para. 4-8).Employee Handbook PrivacyWorkplace Surveillance development systems are provided for the express purpose of supporting business activity. As such, all use of company systems including email communications are the billet of rudiment guild. Employees are generally not permitted to use business information systems for personal use. Personal use is permissible if (a) direction has approved it (b) it does not consume more than than a trivial amount of system resources (c) it does not interfere with employees productivity and (d) it does not preempt any business activity. Electronic mail systems are not to be used for such purposes as producing or distributing chain mail operating(a) a business soliciting for personal, political, or phantasmal causes or for outside organizations. alphabet attach to does not guarantee, nor should users have any expectation onprivacy of electronic communications. Users should exemplar care regarding the contents of communications. first principle caller maintains the capability to monitor all activity on the companys business information systems including internet web sites visited. Employees moldiness obtain written permission from their neighboring(a) supervisor prior to accessing chat cortege for business purposes. Telephone conversations may be monitored for the purpose of evaluating the quality of service provided to ABC social clubs customers.Drug testingCurrent and prospective employees will be asked to submit to drug and intoxicantic beverage testing per ABC Company policy. Prospective employees will be asked to submit to testing if an strait of employment is tendered. Negati ve test results for drugs and/or inebriant are a limit of employment. This policy is intended to comply with all state laws governing drug and alcohol testing and is designed to safeguard employee privacy rights to the fullest extent of the law. ABC Company will obtain employee signed approval form prior to administering drug and/or alcohol testing.Failure to submit to testing as a result of probable cause will result in rift and may result in exit of employment. Any drug and/or alcohol testing solicited by ABC Company will be performed by a state licensed laboratory. stately employee asked to submit to a drug or alcohol test will be notified of their results by ABC Company at heart 2 business days of receiving the lab results. any reasonable effort will be made by ABC Company to maintain confidentiality regarding results. If the test results are confirmed positive, the employee will be given the opportunity to provide a prescription medicine supporting test findings.ABC Company does not tolerate the use of alcohol or nonprescription drugs on company premises or during work hours at facilities operated by ABC Company. Suspension shall be without pay until the results of the test are obtained by ABC Company. If the results are negative, the employee will be reinstated and compensated for hours not worked as a result of the suspension. Positive test results may result in termination of employment. Every reasonable effort will be made by ABC Company to protect the confidentiality of thedrug test results.Employee RecordsThe purpose of this policy is to ensure that employees who have access to confidential information regarding other employees understand the importance of preserving the confidentiality of such information. This policy applies to all ABC company employees who have access to confidential personnel information and/or are otherwise provided access to such information for legitimate business-related purposes.Employees who have access to confi dential information, including, but not limited to, personnel matters concerning other company employees (e.g., compensation, employment-related medical information, retirement benefits, marital status, work carrying into action issues and/or evaluations, etc.) must sign an engagement Regarding Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure of Confidential Employee Information. Management employees requesting access to such information must submit a signed Agreement Regarding Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure of Confidential Employee Information to the Human Resources Department prior to being granted access to confidential personnel information.Employee information shall not be released to any third party without the written request for release of information signed and dated by the employee and verified by an HR representative. Each request for information shall be treated as a fork inquiry, be limited to the information contract in the document and require separate documentation. Where appropriate or in submission with laws applicable to an employees specific work location, information will be issued to the appropriate administration with the proper documents authorizing the search and seizure of express information.ReferencesBennett-Alexander, D.D., & Hartman, L.P. (2004). The Right to Privacy and Other Protections from Employer Intrusions. _Employment law of nature for Business_(4th). New York McGraw Hill. (Original work published 1995)Employee Handbook Company Policy Manual. (2006). In _NUPP Legal._ Retrieved folk 8, 2006, from http//www.nupplegal.com/polhanman1.htmlHansson, S. O., Persson, A. J., Jan 2003, Privacy at Work-Ethical Criteria, _Journal of Business Ethics_, set about 1, Vol. 42, Issue 1, p. 59-70, 12p, Retrieved on phratry 8, 2006, from EBSCOhost website http//web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=29&hid=11&sid=6fd07b5a-b177-42f8-bcd3-def12a5cabc0%40sessionmgr101Hillstrom, L., Hillstrom, K., 2006, Employee Privacy, _Encyclopedia of Small Business __Di-Eq,_ Thomson Gale, Retrieved on September 8, 2006, fromhttp//www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Di-Eq/copyright.html