Many Pennsylvania companies have confidential company information such as customer lists, client information, business negotiations, marketing, business strategies, and financial information that they want to protect. One way to protect confidential information is through a written confidential information policy. Another way is through a confidentiality agreement. Additionally, certain confidential information will be protected through Pennsylvania’s Trade Secret Act.
Depending on the work environment and on the employee’s access to confidential information, a statement in one form or another may be essential to safeguarding the employer’s proprietary information. While a written confidentiality policy does not have the same legal force as a confidentiality agreement, it will nonetheless serve to remind employees of the company’s expectation that certain information may not be disclosed to others outside the business or used by employees to their own advantage.
Before adopting any confidentiality policy, the employer should assess what degree of risk it is willing to take. Breach of confidentiality opens an employer to significant business risk and risk under legal, medical and financial laws. However, during 2012, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has expressed concerns...
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