U-M currently is defending a lawsuit that may affect whether the University will be able to maintain the confidentiality of addresses and telephone numbers of employees who request not to have their home contact information published in the faculty and staff directory.

When responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the University does not provide the home addresses and telephone numbers of employees who have requested that this information not appear in the directory.

The University follows this practice on the basis that employee home addresses and telephone numbers are not public records and that this information is not subject to disclosure because FOIA contains an exemption for information of a personal nature. A lawsuit brought by the Michigan Federation of Teachers (MFT), a labor union, challenges whether the University may continue this practice under FOIA.

In January 2004 the University responded to a FOIA request by MFT for data regarding U-M employees “employed in the Winter 2004 term.” The University provided the names of all employees along with approximately 20 pieces of public information related to their employment (job title, job code, job family, department name, department ID, work address, compensation rate, etc.). At that time the University provided home addresses only for those employees listed in the directory.

MFT then presented a follow-up request for all employee home addresses, including those not published in the directory. The University denied the request. MFT now has sued the University, asking the court to order the University to disclose employee names, home addresses and telephone numbers not published in the directory. Labor organizers from MFT in the past have used the information to visit some University employees at their home.

“We believe it is essential for the University to protect the confidentiality of our employees’ personal information,” says Laurita Thomas, associate vice president and chief human resource officer. “That responsibility is especially important where employees have indicated to us that they do not want their home address and phone number disclosed.”

About 44 percent of regular (non-temporary) faculty and staff have designated their contact information as private and not to be published in the directory.

Employees who have questions or concerns about the lawsuit or about the University’s policy toward confidential employee information may contact the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel at ovpgcfoia@umich.edu.