Under Connecticut law, employers must notify employees if electronic monitoring of employees' activities or communications may occur, and what type of monitoring may be involved.
The attached notice should be distributed to all personnel. Employees hired after adoption of this policy shall receive the same prior to commencing a position with the school district.
The telephones, computers and other electronic and communications systems of the Hamden Public Schools are the property of Hamden Public Schools and are available to employees to properly facilitate the conduct of daily activities. Please be advised that representatives of the Hamden Public Schools may review e-mails, faxes, modem and LAN/WAN communications, including Internet use, and voice-mail messages sent or received by employees. In addition, Hamden Public Schools may review records generated by the building security systems to monitor employee access to work areas.
Legal References: Connecticut General Statutes
The Freedom of Information Act
3 l-48d -Employees engaged in electronic monitoring required to give prior notice to employees
Policy Adopted: July 13, 1999
Policy Revised: June 27, 2005
Hamden Public Schools Hamden, Connecticut
Regulation
Exhibit 4118.4, 4218.4
NOTICE
Pursuant to the authority of Public Act 98-142, the Hamden Board of Education hereby gives notice to all its employees of the potential use of electronic monitoring in its workplace. While the Board of Education may not actually engage in the use of electronic monitoring, it reserves the right to do so when determined by the Board in its discretion.
"Electronic monitoring,'' as defined by Public Act 98-142, means the collection of information on school premises concerning employees' activities or communications, by any means other than direct observation of the employees. Electronic monitoring includes the use of a• computer, telephone, wire, radio, camera, electromagnetic, photo-electronic or photo-optical systems. The law does not cover the collection of information (A) for security purposes in any common areas of school premises which are open the public, or (B) which is prohibited under other state or federal law.
he telephones, computers and other electronic and communications systems of the Hamden Public Schools are the property of the Hamden Public Schools and are available to employees to properly facilitate the conduct of daily activities. Please be advised that representatives of the Hamden Public Schools may review e-mails, faxes, modem and LAN-WAN communications, including Internet use, and voice-mail messages sent or received by employees. In addition the Hamden Public Schools may review records generated by building security systems to monitor employee access to work areas.
The law also provides that the Board of Education may use electronic monitoring without-any prior notice when (a) the Board has reasonable grounds to believe employees are engaged in conduct that (i) violates the law, (ii) violates the legal rights of the Board or of other employees, or (iii) creates a hostile work environment and (b) such electronic monitoring may produce evidence of such conduct.
Questions about electronic monitoring in the workplace should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Administration.
Regulation Approved: March 12, 2003
Hamden Board of Education Hamden, Connecticut