5 Privacy Tips
Staying on Top of Privacy When Staff are Working at Home
1. REMINDER OF CONFIDENTIALITY OBLIGATIONS
You must remind your staff of their obligation to keep confidential information confidential. Just because someone is working from home, doesn’t mean they can talk openly about their work with those around them (like they usually would in the workplace). It is best to put this reminder in your working from home policy, however a simple email will be just as effective.
2. USUAL SYSTEMS
Ensure your staff have access to the systems that they would usually use in the workplace. Your systems will generally be tried and tested and provide you with a level of comfort during these uncertain times. Cloud based software is easily accessible from anywhere, whereas local programs require a secure VPN connection.
Your staff will create their own personal work-around if they cannot access their systems. This poses a huge security risk to your business and the chance of personal information being mishandled increases. You have enough going on without having the Privacy Commissioner breathing down your neck if you have a notifiable data breach on your hands.
3. PRIVATE CALLS
Private calls are that. Private. To maintain confidentiality and privacy, especially in a professional environment, whilst your staff are working from home they should be working from a dedicated workspace.
As more businesses send their workers home, it is likely that your staff members may be working side by side with those they reside with. Whilst this will be fine for the most part, your staff should only take phone calls or online meetings if they are the only person in the room and out of earshot of anyone ese.
4. LOCK UP PAPERWORK
Whilst most of us might be using ‘less paper’ these days, we still have the need for hard copy documents. Whilst in the office, your staff will be familiar with your filing and storage requirements.
When working from home, your staff should find a secure location to place documents. If they do not have a secure location, you should direct your staff to communicate with others they reside with that the information is confidential and they are not to look at it. For those that might be working around the dinner table with others (strange times, right?!), it is essential that paperwork of different businesses does not get mixed up together.
5. TOUCH BASE
It is very important that you touch base with your staff on a regular basis. Not only to ensure they are following your protocols, but from a well being perspective.
These are uncertain and unprecedented times and it would be worthwhile encouraging your staff to use the services of your employee assistance program, if you have one. If your staff feel you genuinely care about their wellbeing, they are more likely to assist you in maintaining privacy and your overall business objectives.
O*NO Legal promises to protect your brand and reputation by providing smart, on demand privacy, legal and comms solutions so your business can stand privacy prepared.