(A) Notwithstanding issues addressed specifically in other provisions of this chapter, employees can expect a reasonable degree of privacy in the contents of their work areas, including desks, cabinets, closets, and similar locations. However, when an employee is absent, or otherwise unavailable, the city may seek out, for a legitimate business purpose, material believed to be contained in those work areas.
(B) Supervisors may examine work-area contents or listen to employee communications of their subordinate employees for the purpose of ascertaining, or evaluating, the quality and/or quantity of an employee's work.
(C) Employees cannot expect any degree of privacy in any documents, records, files, or city-owned devices, including, but not limited to, computers, cell phones, and tablets. Documents, records, files, and city-owned devices can be reviewed and searched at any time, for any reason, including preparation of a response to an open records request.
(D) The contents of work areas may be subject to search where there is reasonable cause to believe there is a violation of these policies or evidence of a violation of any local, state, or federal law. Searches of work areas for this reason may only be conducted with the consent and involvement of the City Commission.
(Ord. 5-11-2023-A, passed 6-8-2023)