Rule 17f-2 -- Fingerprinting of Securities Industry Personnel

[indyaries]

Indianapolis, Indiana / Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Greetings,

I'm writing on behalf of a friend who works for John Hancock in Milwaukee. She is a contract employee who has been there for about 6 months. She is now being told by the main office in Boston that she must submit to being fingerprinted and investigated by the FBI. I have researched the laws on this. The securities information is maintained over 1000 miles from her. She has no access to physical documents, nor electronic information pertaining to securities. Rule 17f-2 provides for exemptions for employees who have nothing to do with securities. John Hancock-Boston refuses to provide such an exemption.

I see that there are laws protecting people from polygraphs, etc. However there seems to be no protection against an employer capriciously and arbitrarily forcing employees to be investigated.

Are there any rights or remedys for such an employee? She lives in Indianapolis, and works in Milwaukee as a contractor.

Thank you for your response.

 

[ALawyer]

If the employer insists, that's it. There are enough employers concerned about security these days, and they won't make an exception.