Wrongful use of retirement plan participant data was among the claims made by a class of 40,000 participants against the plan sponsor and others in Cassell et al. v. Vanderbilt University et al. Specifically, the plan participants claimed that the University inter alia breached its “loyalty and prudence” duty by failing to protect confidential employee
Workplace Privacy
Supreme Court Rules on Employee Data Breach Class Arbitration Suit
In June of 2018 we reported that the U.S. Supreme Court granted a petition for review of a data breach lawsuit addressing the issue of whether parties can pursue class arbitration when the language in the arbitration agreement does not explicitly allow for such, Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela , No. 17-988, certiorari granted April…
Can Hackers Break Into GPS Trackers Used For Your Fleet?
The answer may be yes.
GPS trackers enable businesses to derive greater efficiencies and productivity from their employees and their vehicle fleets. But, when businesses deploy this technology, HR departments often raise valid concerns about employee privacy on and, in some cases, off the job. When employers install GPS trackers on company-owned vehicles, these privacy…
CCPA: Employee Personal Information on the Chopping Block
How will the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) apply to us? This is a question 0rganizations have asked since the CCPA was first proposed. There remains a number of important questions about the scope of the Golden State’s sweeping privacy law that still need to be answered.
One of those questions is whether the…
Bill Which Would Expand the CCPA Private Right of Action Moves Forward
As we reported, in late February, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson introduced Senate Bill 561, legislation intended to strengthen and clarify the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee referred the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 6-2. This move came …
Could This Be Your Retirement Plan?
As reported by CBC, B.C. Pension Corporation announced a data breach involving pension plan records after discovering a box containing microfiche could not be found following a recent office move. The box contained personal information (names, social insurance numbers and dates of birth) on approximately 8,000 pension plan participants. The company employed those participants…
Illinois BIPA Defendants May Soon Be Getting Relief…Or Not
UPDATE: As discussed below, SB2134, as introduced, would have amended BIPA to delete the language that creates a private right of action and provide, instead, that violations resulting from the collection of biometric information by an employer for employment, human resources, fraud prevention, or security purposes would be subject to the enforcement authority of the…
Third Circuit Rules in Favor of Employer Who Monitored Former Employees’ Social Media Accounts
On February 25, 2019, the Third Circuit held that a New Jersey engineering firm that monitored its former employees’ social media accounts was not barred from winning an injunction to prevent four former employees from soliciting firm clients and destroying company information.
In this case, several employees left the engineering firm to start two competing…
Cost and Benefit Analysis of Bring Your Own Device Programs
An increasing number of companies have adopted Bring Your Own Device (“BYOD”) programs. Under a BYOD program, companies permit employees to connect their personal devices (e.g. laptops, smartphones, and tablets) to the company’s networks and systems to complete work-related duties. In contrast, under Corporate Owned Personally Enabled (“COPE”) programs, companies purchase and provide devices and…
Data Privacy Day – Special Report – California Consumer Privacy Act FAQs for Employers
Happy Data Privacy Day from the Jackson Lewis Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity Team!
In Honor of National Privacy Day, we are focused on what is sure to be one of the hottest issues of 2019 and present our FAQs for employers on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
As you know, data privacy and security…