Virginia has passed legislation to prohibit the disclosure of employees’ “personal identifying information” (PII). Effective July 1, 2013, the new law makes it unlawful for an employer to release to a third party any current or former employee’s PII, defined in the following limited way: “home or mobile telephone numbers, email address, shift times, or work schedule.” The bill provides for certain enumerated exceptions, including when the PII release is required by federal or state law, court order, warrant issued by a judicial officer, or “a subpoena issued in a pending civil or criminal case, or by discovery in a civil case.”

The new law may affect whether and under what circumstances companies with current and former employees in Virginia respond to law enforcement and other request for employee information.

Written by Alysa Z. Hutnik

New Virginia Law Prohibits the Release of Employees’ PII