Privacy Issues in the Community College Workplace

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

8-19 C

S ECTION 1 Overview .....................................................................................................................................................................10 A. Goal of Workbook.........................................................................................................................................10 B. Types of Employer Liability in Privacy Arena .............................................................................................10 1. Federal and State Constitutions .................................................................................................................... 10 2. Common Law Torts...................................................................................................................................... 12 3. Federal and California Statutes..................................................................................................................... 13 4. California Public Safety Officer’s Procedural Bill of Rights Act ............................................................... 14 S ECTION 2 Hiring Inquiries and Background Checks....................................................................................................................14 A. Hiring Interviews, Questionnaires and Tests.................................................................................................15 B. Conducting Reference and Background Checks ...........................................................................................16 1. Information Available From Public Sources................................................................................................ 17 2. Obtain a Waiver ............................................................................................................................................ 18 3. Confidentiality of Sources Providing References ........................................................................................ 18 4. Policy for Responding to Reference Checks................................................................................................ 19 5. Credit Checks and “Consumer” Reports – Use is Limited to Decision Involving Specific Job Categories................................................................................................................................ 21 6. Peace Officer Background Investigations .................................................................................................... 29 C. Criminal Records...........................................................................................................................................29 1. Exemption from Statute Limiting Background Checks that Reveal Conviction History ........................... 30 2 . Criminal Records an Employer Must Not Seek or Use ............................................................................. 32 3. Criminal Records an Employer Must Obtain............................................................................................... 33 4. Criminal Records an Employer May Obtain................................................................................................ 35 D. Fingerprint Records.......................................................................................................................................36 E. Polygraph Examinations................................................................................................................................37 1. Employees in General................................................................................................................................... 37 2. Public Safety Officers................................................................................................................................... 38 F. Responding to Reference Checks ..................................................................................................................38 1. Tort Claims ................................................................................................................................................... 38 2. Privileged Communications ......................................................................................................................... 39 3. Statutory Claims............................................................................................................................................ 40 4. Mandatory Response to Police Department Background Investigation...................................................... 41 5. Duty to Maintain Background Check Information ...................................................................................... 42 S ECTION 3 Medical Testing and Medical Information ..................................................................................................................42 A. Applicable Laws............................................................................................................................................42 1. The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA)........................................................................... 42 2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) .................................................................. 43 3. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) ........................................................................................ 43 4. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)............................................................................................... 44 5. The California Family Rights Act (CFRA).................................................................................................. 44 6. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) ....................................................................................... 44 7. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Cal/OSHA) ................................................ 44 8. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA)......................................................................... 44 9. Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) .............................................................................................................. 45 10. California Labor Code Section 3762............................................................................................................ 45 11. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) .................................................................... 45 12. California Patient Privacy Protections.......................................................................................................... 47

Privacy Issues in the Community College Workplace ©2019 (c) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore iv