HR Works 128: Employee Monitoring and Protecting Trade Secrets

This special episode is sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management, also known as SHRM. We are also excited to announce that this is our very first SHRM credit approved podcast episode. Stay tuned for information on how to get your credits later in the program. With large swaths of the workforce working remotely, some employers have growing concerns about employee productivity, as well as information security and confidentiality. While some monitoring of employees will occur at virtually every organization, the degree to which that monitoring is implemented and how can be the difference between getting useful information and accidentally learning protected information about your employees. Additionally, employers are struggling to protect their trade secrets and other confidential information among employees that are outside the watchful eye of their employers. We are pleased to have with us two attorneys from Jones Walker (https://www.joneswalker.com/) to discuss the issue of employee monitoring as well as how employers can protect themselves from trade secrets and confidential information threats. First, we have with us Joseph Lavigne (https://www.joneswalker.com/professionals/joseph-f-lavigne.html), a partner at Jones Walker. As a lead attorney on Jones Walker’s trade secret and non-compete team, Joe focuses his practice on prosecuting and defending claims of employee misconduct involving trade secret violations, unfair trade practices, non-compete violations, invasion of privacy, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act issues, theft, and related disputes. He also advises clients on employment policies and practices and regularly negotiates employment agreements for employers. We also have with us today P.J. Kee (https://www.joneswalker.com/professionals/p-j-kee.html), also a partner at Jones Walker. P.J. regularly represents clients in federal and state courts. He has been on trial teams that have not only successfully obtained and fended off injunctions relating to trade secrets, but also prevailed on the merits at trial. P.J. also litigates other complex commercial and employment matters that involve breach-of-contract claims, business torts, fraud claims, fiduciary duty actions, defamation claims, invasion-of-privacy claims, wage-and-hour disputes, Title VII claims, and appellate advocacy.