Daniel E. DeKoter

There are privacy rights governing an employee’s personal information as well as activities in the workplace. Here are some of them:  Image source: Pixabay.com Use of personal information   The law protects private information held by government agencies, and not private firms. In the private sector, it is up to the employers to act in good faith in handling employee information. It is widely known, however, that employee details should only be released to those needing it for legitimate as well as legal reasons.  Electronic monitoring   Companies are allowed to monitor phone, computer, and email use among employees, and it is generally recommended that these policies be transparently defined and communicated to them. They usually state that employees have no expectation of privacy while on company property or using company resources.  Drug and alcohol testing   This is permitted within private firms, although records ...

Pre-planning lies at the heart of hassle-free estate administration. Prior estate planning can assure individuals that their survivors would not have to fight uphill legal battles to claim what is rightfully theirs.  Image source: thebalance.com The many tasks at this point include drafting a will, collecting and updating the pertinent documents, and assigning an executor. With the advent of the digital age comes the need to store passwords and other online accounts where they could be found by survivors.  In the absence of a will, state law would determine and decide how one’s estate would be divided. Because state law does not always line up to the wishes of an individual, it is recommended that a will be drafted. Wills would need to be updated at key points in a person’s life.  At times, a will would need to be administered in more than one state. Although most probate cases are held at the state where the death has occurred, individual state la...