The ACLU of Rhode Island is offering to the public a free 36-page booklet entitled “Your Rights to Workplace Privacy in Rhode Island.” As its title indicates, the booklet answers commonly-asked questions about employees’ privacy rights in the state.
Among other things, the handbook answers such questions as:
- Can my employer require me to take a drug test?
- Are there any limits on the types of questions I can be asked when I apply for a job?
- Can my employer monitor my phone or private conversations?
- Can my employer tell me how to dress or wear my hair on the job?
- Does my employer have the right to physically search me or my belongings at the workplace?
While the ACLU, as a general rule, deals with civil liberties complaints only against the government, it has had a long-standing interest and involvement in issues relating to privacy in the workplace.
Free copies of the booklet are also available by calling the ACLU at 831-7171 or writing the ACLU office at 128 Dorrance Street, Suite 220, Providence RI 02903.
