Utah becomes the fifth state with a workplace social-media privacy law

Welcome citizens of the Utah.

I’d say welcome back, but, according my blog stats, so few of you have seen my blog a first time. How could that be? Some of my best posts involve the Beehive State:

• • “144 ‘N’-words, but black employees can’t prove they were offended“

• • “Fifth of vodka + whiskey + elevator shaft = no workers’ comp“

• “Apparently, sex in a supply closet is not sexual harassment“

 

 

I even have two random Johnny Utah references sprinkled about.

This all led me to theorize that Utah didn’t have internet. For realz, have you ever received an email from Utah? Amirite?

Although, I read yesterday that Utah passed this law to become the fifth state to ban employers from requesting social media passwords from applicants and employees.

With its new law, we end up with another state crafting a solution in search of a problem. But, to its credit, the new Utah law does have certain carve-outs to allow employers to access employee social-media information to permit the employer to discharge its legal obligations (e.g., investigate claims of unlawful harassment, determine whether an employee has misappropriated confidential information).

At least we know now that Utah probably does have the dial-up internet. Maybe.