Provide Advance Notice of Workplace Privacy

Provide advance notice of what employees can and cannot expect to remain private in the workplace. Reducing the expectation of privacy is your best defense against allegations of invasion of privacy. If you provide employees with computers, laptops, cell phones, mobile devices, etc., for company use, you must maintain a written policy about their use. Just as you may want to search, with or without notice, company property such as desks, lockers, voice mail and email, you may want to monitor or audit other company property, or limit the use to business-related matters.

A written policy about use of company property, including electronic devices, provides