WORKPLACE SCENARIOS: PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES For your first writing assignment, using information from chapter two in the textbook to justify your responses, respond to each of the following scenarios in a minimum of six (6) complete sentences. Assignment will be graded on your ability to apply course concepts to substantiate your assumptions and findings and writing quality. Responses that are “off the cuff” without applying the legal standards and case law discussed in the text and lectures (i.e. how you would have responded before the lecture and reading class material) will allow you to earn a maximum of half credit. Note that all the scenarios take place in public agencies. As discussed in the text and lecture, public employees have less rights than they do as private citizens but more rights than employees in the private sector since government is the “employer.” Therefore, there is always going to be a balance. Please see the attached writing sample as an example of how your response should be presented. Legal Scenario #1: In this scenario, you are a Department Director at the County of Riverside and are dealing with a lawsuit that a citizen has filed against the County concerning the actions of your department. The County Counsel assigned to represent your department in this litigation matter has learned from opposing counsel that one of the managers you supervise is e-mailing the opposing counsel (external party), using his County email address – information that will be detrimental to the department’s case. In fact, the opposing counsel has received some internal confidential attorney-client privileged communications, which employees are strictly prohibited from sharing with outside parties. The County’s Information Technology department has the capability to provide you with copies of e-mails sent and responded to from any employee’s County email account. You will need copies of the alleged e-mail correspondence to prove wrongdoing and pursue discipline in this particular case. Do you, as a manager, have a right to retrieve these e-mails or is this considered personal property of the employee? What factors have you considered in reaching these conclusions? What would you do or continue to do in the future to advise employees of their expectations of privacy in the workplace?