Maintaining the Confidentiality of Your Employment Case
It’s human nature to feel the need to discuss important events in our lives. A legal claim affecting your job can be very traumatic with long-term consequences for your future, but Tampa employment lawyers Florin Gray caution that nothing good can happen if you talk about your case with others. More likely, in fact, the result will be negative. Here are some tips about maintaining the confidentiality of your employment case.
Using Your Employer’s Resources
In some instances, an employee will continue to work at his or her job while the claim proceeds. Through the discovery phase and in preparation for trial, regular communication with Tampa employment lawyers is necessary to advance the case. Although it is obviously very convenient to use the office fax or email to send the required documents to your legal counsel, it is not wise to do so. Initially, most offices have automatic fax and email storage systems in place, which means a copy of everything you send will be available. Importantly, although there is a well-established attorney-client privilege that protects the confidentiality of communications, it is not clear if the privilege extends to communications originated via the employer’s devices.
Don’t Talk about Your Employment Case
Information has a way of coming out; even if you believe you are speaking with a trusted friend or family member, it is better to avoid saying anything, particularly not about your bottom line settlement figure, any perceived weaknesses of your case, or any case strategy. Other than the clear disadvantage of having the other side learn of this type of information, if you talk to others about your case, there is a possibility opposing counsel will depose those you speak with and probe more deeply into your conversations. At the very least, this can add time and expense to the case. Moreover, if you settle your case, sign a confidentiality agreement and later breach that agreement, you will likely put your settlement in jeopardy. Put simply, before you chose to say anything about your case, call your Tampa employment lawyer for advice.
Contact Employment Lawyers Tampa for Legal Advice
You rely on your lawyer to do all that is possible for a positive resolution, but there are ways that you can advance your own case. One such way is to realize that communications with anyone but your lawyer are not privileged and should be avoided. For any other questions regarding your rights as an employee and how to maintain employment case confidentiality, call Florin Gray, an employment lawyers Tampa group, at (727) 254-5255.
