The Rules of Confidentiality

Within any office space there is likely to be a wealth of information that must be kept under lock and key. This information should only be visible to those who require it for their job role, and there are certain rules which govern the use of this information, as well as how to protect it. 

It depends upon the type of organisation you work for as to what type of information you’ll be dealing with on a daily basis. For instance, if you work within a hospital you will have access to patient records regularly at your desks, and this information is extremely sensitive and confidential. If you work within a law firm, the same rules apply, and if you work in a Human Resources department, you will also have access to the personal files of the employees within that business. All of this information is considered confidential with a capital C. 

Of course, information doesn’t have to be about a person in order to be confidential. It can be about upcoming product development projects, it can be financial information, or it can be information on competitors and what they’re likely to be up to. Any information which could be detrimental to the business if it was leaked out of the four walls or used by the wrong person is considered to be confidential and therefore governed by certain guidelines. 

The Data Protection Act also covers how information can be used and stored, either within office storage units or electronically, and all businesses must ensure that they comply with this. Again, depending upon the type of organisation you work for, there may be other legislation which applies to your business type. 

Regardless of the type of information, what guidelines should you follow to ensure the safety of confidential data and information? 

Check out this video for a few pointers.

Doesn’t it All Boil Down to Common Sense?

As you can see, many of the confidentiality rules are common sense. Never share your password with anyone else, change your password regularly, and ensure that you don’t leave documents lying around on computer desks, for anyone to pick up and read. In addition, digital storage security points include encryption and password protection as a bare minimum. 

Manual filing systems, such as papers stored in modern office lockers or filing cabinets should be checked and updated regularly. You should not keep confidential information for longer than strictly necessary, and the length of time depends upon the information at hand. For instance, financial documents have a time limit on how long you need to keep them.

Not all confidential information is digital or paper-based, and another point to mention revolves around office gossip, or talking about information which should not be shared. You should never discuss confidential subjects with anyone who doesn’t need to know the information. 

This can be difficult in some cases, e.g. there might be situations where you need to discuss a particularly sensitive subject with a college around your office tables, but that should be only when they are required to know the information for their job role. This should be a meeting-type conversation and not an informal chat. You should also take measures to ensure this information is not overheard by other people. 

Does it all come down to common sense? In many ways, yes. The rules of confidentiality can be broken down to this - ensuring that only the necessary people are privy to sensitive information. That’s what confidentiality really boils down to. 

Ensure information is secure, backed up, safe, and encrypted. Never share passwords, don’t leave papers sitting around, and never talk about sensitive subjects outside of work, or with anyone in the organisation who isn’t involved in that particular project. 

By following these confidentiality rules or guidelines, you’re ensuring that information remains secure, regardless of its nature. You’re also ensuring compliance with key legislation, which may have dire consequences if broken.