Privacy in the Workplace

• Author: Barry A. Kuretzky and Monty Verlint
• Pages: 495-540



PrivacyintheWorkplace

BarryAKuretzkyandMontyVerlint*

A. INTRODUCTION

NewinformationtechnologyhasincreasinglybecomeapartoftheCan-

adian workplaceHowever with new technological advances includ-

ingtheInternetemailvideosurveillancebiometricsradiofrequency

identicationdevicesandglobalpositioningsystemsissuesrelatingto

thecollectionuseanddisclosureofprivateandpersonalinformation

becomemoreapparentEmployersarebecomingmoreconcernedabout

the amount and type of i nformation collected about their employees

and the increasing expe ctation of privacy in the workplaceI nforma-

tiontechnologyisnowawayoflifeformostpeopleandprivacyisnow

fundamentallyimportantforeveryemployeeTherehasneverbeena

greaterneedtoaddresstheprivacyconcernsofemployeesandtogener-

ateacleardenitionofworkrelatedprivacy

Asaresultrecentdevelopmentsinthelawofprivacyhavebeennum-

erousNotonlyhavetherebeenanumberofstatutorychangesinthelast

veyearstherehavealsobeencriticalcommonlawdevelopmentsThe

purposeofthispaperistoprovideacomprehensiveoverviewofprivacy

lawsimpactingtheworkplacewithspeciccommentaryregardingthe

 BarryKuretzkyisaseniorpartneratthelawrmofKuretzkyVassosHenderson

LLPandMontyVerlintisanassociateofKuretzkyVassosHendersonLLPTheau-

thorswouldliketothankMsMarnieBaizleyalawyeratKuretzkyVassosHender-

sonLLPforherkindassistanceinconductingsomeoftheresearchforthispaper

BAKMV

needforclaricationinanumberofareasWewillfocusonthefollow-

ingprivacylawsimpactingtheworkplaceincludingthecuingedge

technologicaldevelopmentswhichhaveaectedthisfascinatingsubject

 thecommonlawtortofinvasionofprivacyareviewofCanadian

caselaw

 privacylegislationinCanadaandcompliance

a PersonalInformationProtectionandElectronicDocumentsAct

b BritishColumbiaandAlbertaprivacylegislation

c Compliancewithprivacylegislation

d Ontarioprivacylegislation

 PIPEDAandelectronicsurveillanceintheworkplace

a videosurveillance

b globalpositioningsystems

c biometrics

d radiofrequencyidenticationdevices

 employersurveillanceandthecommonlaw

 accesstopersonalinformationinthecontextofawrongfuldismissal

suitareviewofPIPEDAcasesummariesandandthesub-

sequentapplicationstotheFederalCourtofCanada

 conclusion





ThereisnolegislatedremedyofprivacyinOntarioforemployeesgov-

ernedunderprovincialjurisdictionwhichareaordedtofederallyregu-

latede mployeesunder the PIPEDA and to employeesunder Alber tas

Personal Information Protection ActBritishColumbiasPersonal Informa-

tion Protection ActandQuebecsAct Respecting the Protection of Personal

Information in the Private Sector.AssuchmostemployeesinOntarioare

onlypotentiallyprotectedunderthecommonlawInvasionofprivacy

underthecommonlawhasbeenrecognizedinothercountriesandthe

CanadiancourtshavelookedtoEnglishandAmericanjurisprudenceas

 SCcPIPEDA

 SAcPAlbertasPIPA

 SBCcBritishColumbiasPIPA

 RSQcP

Privacy in the Workplace

wellaslegalscholarsTraditionallyprivacyhasbeentiedtothecommon

lawnotionsofnuisanceortrespassUntilapproximatelythecourts

hadmadenoclearpronouncementontheexistenceofthetortofinva-

sionofprivacybuttheykeptthedooropenandcommentedonthe

necessityofthecommonlawtoevolveinthisdirectionstatingthatthey

wouldnotruleouttheexistenceofsuchanindependenttort

ThecaseofSomwar v. McDonalds Restaurants of Canada Ltd.hasbeen

oneofthemostrecentOntariodecisionswhichhasassertedtheexistence

ofsuchatortHoweverdespiteSomwarareviewofthecourtdecisions

belowrevealsthatthetortofinvasionofprivacyremainsindecisivein

CanadaThereislileauthorityregardingthecontentorconstituentele-

mentsofsuchatortoranyguidelineswithrespecttowhattypeofdam-

agescouldbeawardedforabreachThisuncertaintywillcontinueuntil

anappellatecourtandultimatelytheSupremeCourtofCanadaconsid-

ersthemaerAmyriadofquestionsacourtmayconsiderinthisregard

includethefollowing

 Isthetortofprivacyindependentofothercausesofactionorshould

itbeasubsetofanotherrecognizedtortsuchasnuisanceortres-

pass

 Whataretheconstituentelementsofthetort

 Whatdamagescanbeclaimedbyaplainti

 WillthetortbesimilartostatutoryprivacylegislationsuchasPI-

PEDAorsomethingcompletelydierent

 

ThefollowingsummaryofCanadiancaselawsetsouthowthelawhas

beenevolving

 KrousevChryslerCanadaLtd.

JusticeHaineslethedooropentothepossibilityofacommonlawright

toprivacyhoweverhedeclinedtoruleontheissueHestatedCourts

dohavethepowerandmustexercisethepowerofadaptingthecom-

monlawtothefactsofthedayHecontinued

wherethemakingofafundamentalpronouncementoflawisnotes-

sentialtotheresolutionofalawsuitthistypeofnecessaryandproper

 OJNoSCJSomwar

 ORHCJrevdonothergroundsORdCA

Krouse

 Ibid.atHCJ