Confidentiality

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We’re pleased to cross-post a piece by our sister blog, Trading Secrets, regarding California’s peculiar take on employee non-solicitation provisions.

On November 1, 2018, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District affirmed a trial court’s ruling in AMN Healthcare, Inc. v. Aya Healthcare Services, Inc. et al., No. D071924, 2018 WL 5669154 (Cal. App. 2018), which (1)…
Continue Reading California Appellate Panel Affirms Injunction Blocking Use of Employee Non-Solicitation Provision in Dispute Between Travel Nurse Providers

Seyfarth Synopsis: California Legislators sent Governor Jerry Brown 1,217 bills to consider in his final bill-signing period as Governor—more than any California governor has seen since 2004. The final tally: 1016 signed, 201 vetoed. Below is our full, final roundup of new laws that employers must comply with, bills that fell to the Governor’s veto pen, and bills that …
Continue Reading CA Legislative Update: Governor Brown’s Job is Done

Seyfarth Synopsis: Heeding some lessons from HBO’s “Silicon Valley” can help employers avoid mistakes related to potential hostile work environments and discrimination that might occur in a startup environment.

In a world where life often imitates art, startups can avoid perceived gender bias and sexual harassment in the workplace by learning from the pitfalls of the socially awkward…
Continue Reading Avoid Paying The Piper: Tune Your Startup to Avoid Harassment Claims

By Jill Porcaro and Andrew Crane

As a well-intentioned employer, you know it is best to promptly investigate employee claims of workplace harassment  and other employee misconduct.  Due to the obvious sensitive nature of these types of investigations, you implement a policy prohibiting your employees from discussing the investigation with anyone other than the investigator.  You believe that your employees will feel more comfortable disclosing truthful information to the investigator knowing their confidences are assured.  Great policy, right?

  • Not exactly.  Now, more than ever, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) is cracking down on blanket confidentiality policies that prohibit employees from discussing investigations of employee misconduct, including the right to discuss discipline or disciplinary investigations involving their fellow employees, on the grounds that these policies “chill” employees’ rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”).

In Banner Health System d/b/a Banner Estrella Medical Center, 358 NLRB No. 93 (July 30, 2012), an employer had a policy of prohibiting its employees who made complaints from discussing the matter with their coworkers while the investigation was ongoing.  The Board held that this rule violated the NLRA because an employer must justify a prohibition by showing a “legitimate business justification that outweighs employees’ Section 7 rights.”

Well then, I’ll just nicely suggest to my employees not discuss the details of any investigation.  That ought to solve the problem, right?
Continue Reading A Rock and a Hard Place: Keeping a Lid On Internal Workplace Investigations