HumenhukCIPP/US Study Guide
Chapter 12: Workplace Privacy

The Employment Life Cycle Framework

Reviewed by Victor Humenhuk. Published . Reviewed .

Workplace privacy issues arise before, during, and after employment: background screening (before); polygraphs, testing, monitoring, social media, and BYOD (during); and access termination and HR records (after). HR-related privacy is a risk for virtually all organizations.

How this supports CIPP/US study

Use this lesson to identify the disclosure, workplace or cross-border rule that changes the result in a fact pattern. Continue with the CIPP/US study plan.

  • Before: background screening, including FCRA rules for accessing applicant information
  • During: polygraphs and psychological testing; substance testing; monitoring (calls, emails); social media; BYOD policies
  • After: terminating access to physical and informational assets; proper post-employment HR practices
Why HR privacy is universal

While consumer-privacy risk is bigger for data-heavy firms, HR-related privacy is a risk for virtually all organizations, even traditional industries not focused on data.

Work with HR

HR records are often physically segregated or under strict access controls. Long-standing HR confidentiality practices mean HR teams may resist a newer privacy team's proposed changes - coordination matters.

Key terms - quick answers

What is “Employment life cycle”?
The framework of privacy issues spanning before employment (screening), during employment (testing, monitoring), and after employment (access termination, records).
What is “BYOD”?
Bring your own device; employees using personal computing devices for work, raising security and privacy issues.

Sources and study method

This independent lesson uses active recall, spaced retrieval and scenario practice. Read the full study method.