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What is an Employee Privacy Policy?
An Employee Privacy Policy is a document that details a company’s policies and practices when collecting, storing, disclosing, and disposing of employee information. It informs employees of their privacy rights within the workplace and how their shared personal data is secure.
Generally, an Employee Privacy Policy applies to everyone within the company. It’s not something uniquely created for each employee.
An Employee Privacy Policy is also known as an:
- Company privacy policy
- Staff privacy policy
- HR privacy policy
Why do companies need an Employee Privacy Policy?
An Employee Privacy Policy is essential for your business when managing employees. It demonstrates:
- Compliance with legal requirements by showing that your company takes the necessary steps (i.e., risk management) to protect employee information when collecting and filing data.
- Transparency and trust for your employees by showing them how you use, store, and dispose of their data. Knowing the process and reasons for collection can give them peace of mind, knowing their information is safe during the hiring process, employment, and after they leave the company.
Creating documents like an Employee Privacy Policy, in addition to a Social Media Policy, establishes a strong resource for your employees and business. Once you create your policy, make it accessible to everyone by including it in Employment Contracts and the Employee Handbook. Also, store a digital copy for your employees to access anytime through staff portals or online hubs.
As an employer, you collect certain information to document an employee's relationship with the company. These confidential details are for hiring purposes, payroll, Employee Evaluations, and more. The information a company collects that your policy will protect includes:
- References and resume content, including employment history and education
- Full legal name, address, and contact information
- Social Security Number and credit history
- Physical description, age, and gender
- Salary and professional position
- Emergency contact information
- Medical history
If your company collects client and consumer data, creating a Website Privacy Policy allows customers to know what information you collect and the safety measures you’re taking with their data.
How to create an Employee Privacy Policy
LawDepot’s user-friendly Employee Privacy Policy questionnaire lets you create a policy in minutes. Once you select your industry, state and put in your company details, just complete the following steps:
1. Determine the terms for your policy
The terms for an Employee Privacy Policy can include:
- A revision date and number to indicate you’re replacing a current policy. If you have a current policy, the new date and document number indicate which version you’re creating and implementing now.
- Any drug and alcohol testing requirements your company has in place. If your company conducts testing, your Privacy Policy will include how this type of information will be stored and shared. Please note that there are federal and state regulations for what and how employers can test in the workplace.
- Any medical information your company collects for accommodation needs, health insurance, and filing claims. You must have additional measures to keep that information secure.
- Whether the company will maintain a log of personal information disclosures, meaning it will record all instances in which you legally share an employee's information. For example, you may share limited information about an individual with another employer for referencing purposes. You can keep a record of the consent provided, the information given, and which employer you gave it to.
Consider including a mediation clause to deal with future disputes regarding the policy. Mediation allows a third party to help create an amicable resolution to any disputes. This clause can help your company save time and money on arbitration or litigation if any issues occur.
3. Create any additional clauses
You can include any additional clauses you may need for your company. LawDepot’s template guides you through creating any additions to your policy.
What are the laws for employee privacy?
There isn’t one piece of federal legislation that solely covers employees’ personal information. Instead, the laws that can protect employees include:
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). These regulations help protect employees’ personal data that you collect for background checks. Credit checks may be done to verify a potential employee’s identity, educational background, or work history. The FCRA regulations are in place to protect employees’ personal data when used in background checks. It outlines how to collect information, share it with third-party agencies, and correctly dispose of any reports.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A company may collect medical information regarding disabilities to create accommodations in the workplace. If you require this information, you must follow the ADA regulations on protecting and collecting medical details with higher levels of protection. This includes storing details in a separate medical file from an employee’s personal file.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As an employer, you may request medical information from an employee for situations such as medical leave, insurance, or workers' compensation. However, you cannot receive this information directly from a medical provider unless you have your employee’s authorization. Once you collect this information, it must be filed securely like any other medical information.
In addition to federal laws, each state has its own privacy regulations for when and how you collect or disclose an employee’s data. For example, California was one of the first states to extend its Consumer Privacy Act to include the collection and use of staff information.
Please check for other state requirements while hiring staff, collecting data, and storing information. LawDepot’s Employee Privacy Policy template is customized to federal and state laws to ensure it follows all legal requirements throughout your policy.
An employer cannot disclose an employee’s personal data outside of the purposes of its collection (i.e., payroll, hiring, background checks, etc.). However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, including:
- If the employee has given written consent to share their details
- If an employer is providing referencing, they may give limited details
- If an employer is required to give details to medical providers in an emergency or to protect the physical safety of an individual or group
- If an employer is ordered to do so during a federal or state investigation and is complying with a court order, warrant, or subpoena