Compliance Updates for Employer’s use of Automated Decisionmaking Tools: New York City Finalizes Rules on Automated Employment Decision Tools and Sets Enforcement Date for July 5, 2023, Upcoming California Regulations, and Federal Guidance

Employers in New York City may soon be subject to a new law, Local Law 144, that regulates employers’ use of automated employment decision tools (“AED tools” or “AEDT”) – software and other programs used to make decisions about who to hire, who to promote and other employment decisions.  Local Law 144, the first of its kind law regulating these AED tools, was originally supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2023; however, because needed regulatory guidance had not been issued, the effective date was repeatedly pushed back and is now set for July 5, 2023.  Final rules were released on April 6, 2023, so further delays are unlikely.  We summarize below the key provisions of Local Law 144 and what employers need to know to prepare.

(more…)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Looks at AI

2023 is rapidly becoming the year of AI policy and regulation.  A particular focus of regulatory concern relates to AI impacts on employees, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is not sitting on the sidelines.  On January 31, 2023, the EEOC held a public hearing to examine the use of automated systems, including artificial intelligence (AI), in employment decisions.  This hearing, titled “Navigating Employment Discrimination in AI and Automated Systems: A New Civil Rights Frontier,” continues the work of the Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Fairness Initiative, which was launched in 2021 by the EEOC.  Through this initiative, the EEOC has already published a guidance titled “The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Use of Software, Algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence to Assess Job Applicants and Employees.” Below are a few high-level takeaways from the hearing:

(more…)

U.S. Employers Need to Reconsider Use of Confidentiality and Nondisparagement Provisions in Light of New NLRB Decision

Employers frequently seek to include confidentiality and nondisparagement provisions in severance agreements provided to departing employees. Last week, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) significantly altered the legal landscape governing such provisions, making it much more difficult for unionized and nonunionized employers alike to use them for nonsupervisory employees without running afoul of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The decision is likely to be appealed, and we will issue updates as they become appropriate. In the interim, however, it is critically important for employers to understand the implications of the decision (see below) and to adjust their use of these provisions to limit their risk.

(more…)

Big California Privacy News: Legislative and Enforcement Updates

Privacy never sleeps in California.  In recent days and as California’s legislative session comes to a close, there have been a number of significant legislative and regulatory developments in the state, each of which will likely (again) change the privacy landscape in California and, by extension, the rest of the country.  For businesses operating in California or whose websites, products or services reach California residents, these changes mean new compliance obligations, some of which could require significant investments of time and resources.  The impact of these changes highlight once again how the United States lacks a consistent national policy on privacy that could be set by a comprehensive federal privacy law.  (more…)

SEC Encourages Self-Reporting of Recordkeeping Violations Resulting From Employees’ Use of Personal Devices for Business Communications

On December 17, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settled charges against a broker-dealer firm for recordkeeping violations arising from its employees’ use of personal devices for business communications. The firm agreed to pay a $125 million penalty and to retain a compliance consultant to conduct a comprehensive review of its policies and procedures relating to the retention of electronic communications found on personal devices. In announcing this enforcement action, the SEC encouraged registrants to self-report similar failures to the SEC. (more…)

Is the SEC Coming for Your Texts? SEC’s New Enforcement Director Telegraphs a Warning to Registrants About Improper Use of Personal Devices for Business-Related Communications

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Enforcement is stepping up investigative efforts looking at registered firms’ use of personal devices for business communications, which can implicate their recordkeeping obligations and result in failure to retain and produce responsive business-related communications in SEC investigations. These risks are particularly acute in the current work-from-home posture at many firms, where employees may more easily blur the line between personal and business communications. Firms should review their policies, procedures, and communication monitoring to ensure that employees are not engaging in business-related communications outside of the firm’s official channels and in a manner that the firm is unable to capture and preserve if required.

(more…)

Stephen L. Cohen

Washington, D.C., Boston, ...

scohen@sidley.com

Supreme Court Limits Scope of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

It is a common story: An employee who knows he is about to leave his employer for a competitor uses his last days of computer access to download (or email himself) confidential information from his employer’s network. Once his employer discovers the misappropriation, the employee has moved on to his next job, leaving the employer scrambling to protect itself, often through a tangle of state-law tort and trade-secret claims.

(more…)

An Early Recap of Privacy in 2020: A US Perspective

*This article was adapted from “Global Overview,” appearing in The Privacy, Data Protection and Cybersecurity Law Review (7th Ed. 2020)(Editor Alan Charles Raul), published by Law Business Research Ltd., and first published by the International Association of Privacy Professionals Privacy Perspectives series on September 28, 2020.

Privacy, like everything else in 2020, was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers and governments have been required to consider privacy in adjusting workplace practices to account for who has a fever and other symptoms, who has traveled where, who has come into contact with whom, and what community members have tested positive or been exposed.

As a result of all this need for tracking and tracing, governments and citizens alike have recognized the inevitable trade-offs between exclusive focus on privacy versus exclusive focus on public health and safety.

(more…)

Alan Charles Raul

Washington, D.C., New York

araul@sidley.com

COVID-19 – Privacy and Cybersecurity: An Action Plan For Business

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, companies should not lose sight of the privacy, data protection and cybersecurity implications of the new and sudden digital reality. This Action Plan sets out some key issues and recommendations to consider as your business manages this rapidly developing dynamic and considers protocols to support the workforce and mitigate risk in a transition back to work. (more…)

COVID-19 – Return to Work: European and U.S. Privacy and Employment Law Issues

The novel COVID-19 global pandemic continues to raise numerous issues for employers and consequences for employees across all industries. This situation is without precedent in modern times and is extremely dynamic with rapidly occurring new developments, guidance and issues that will impact employers. In this webinar, we consider the privacy and employment law issues for employees returning to work, and discuss strategies to deal with this situation in a holistic and coordinated manner.

REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR