Your privacy rights at work

What are my rights?

Can an employer request a criminal record check before hiring me?

People expect to have some privacy at work. At the same time, working for someone means giving up some privacy. There’s a delicate balance between an employer’s need to know what’s going on in their workplace and a worker’s right not to be snooped on. Learn about your privacy rights at work. 

What you should know

Work out the problem

Common questions

Who can help

Reviewed for legal accuracy by

Mary Thibodeau, Moore Edgar Lyster LLP and Leanne M. Walsh, West Coast Workplace Law

Mary Thibodeau
Leanne M. Walsh

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This website explains in a general way the law that applies in British Columbia, Canada. The information is not intended as legal advice. The cases we refer to reflect real experiences, but names have been changed. See our full disclaimer.

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We are grateful to work on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, whose Peoples continue to live on and care for these lands.