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Abstract

Polygraphs and other lie detector tests are a controversial method for screening job applicants and investigating workplace behavior. Since the end of 1988, these tests have been banned as a job screening device in the private sector and their use in on-going investigations was greatly restricted. The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, which is the basis for these restrictions, does not apply to public sector workers. State and local government employees are subject to the laws in the state in which they work. There is a wide variation among the states in their positions regarding the use and restriction of polygraph tests. This article examines variations among the states in the use of polygraph testing and discusses some of the issues related to the use of such tests in public sector employment.

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Polygraph Testing in the Public Sector: The Status of State Legislation

Abstract

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