Crafting a Policy for Employee Personal Property in the Workplace

Gain an understanding of workplace privacy and how to act prudently, while also complying with applicable federal, state and local law.

Safety and security in the workplace, both physical and virtual, was a significant concern for U.S. employers even before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as workplaces become increasingly decentralized due to the rise in remote work, it is important for employers to understand their rights with respect to workplace searches and employee privacy. It is also important for employers to understand the type of exposure that they can face while employees are working remotely, while making use of company-provided equipment. This topic will assist employers with understanding all aspects of privacy in the workplace as it pertains to employee personal property, and underscore why employers should develop policies relating to employee personal property in the workplace - wherever that may be. The information will address hot topics such as harassment, and terminations in the new remote work era, as well as laws relating to reimbursement of employee expenses, weapons and firearms in the workplace, alcohol and drug possession, service animals, personal safety issues, electronic privacy, while generally debunking myths regarding employees' expectation of privacy in the workplace. This material is critical for employers that wish to understand workplace privacy and how to act prudently, while also complying with applicable federal, state and local law. Beyond discussing how to craft policies to protect employers, the topic will discuss trends in personal property policies.