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Some employers search their employees' clothing, purses, or desks at the workplace. Whether a job search is legal depends on whom they work for and where they work.

If you work in a government job (state, federal or local), you generally have more protections against searches, because the Constitution forbids government agencies from engaging in "unreasonable" searches. Whether a search is unreasonable depends in large part on (1) whether your job poses special dangers of violence or theft (e.g., searches of U.S. Mint workers and Customs officials are more likely to be found "reasonable" than searches of city hall secretaries), (2) whether the employer has specific information justifying a search (e.g., office equipment is missing), and (3) whether the employer has given workers prior notice that searches are to be expected.

If you don't work for the government, your state might have similar laws protecting you from searches by your "private" employer. There is no precise rule as to whether a search is legal. Therefore, you should check with a lawyer to see if your state has good privacy protections. If your employer violated state law, you might sue your employer for invasion of privacy.