Section 28 Public Employers

• Library: Employer-Employee Law 2008

The Supreme Court addressed an employer search of an employee’s office in O’Connor v. Ortega, 480 U.S. 709 (1987). The Court indicated that it must balance the rights involved to determine if the Fourth Amendment was violated. “In the case of searches conducted by a public employer, we must balance the invasion of the employees’ legitimate expectations of privacy against the government’s need for supervision, control, and the efficient operation of the workplace.” O’Connor, 480 U.S. at 719–20.

The O’Conno...