Human Resources Privacy Policy Template

A human resources privacy policy template is often adapted from a customer-facing one, which leaves out the parts specific to staff data.

Three areas need explicit treatment. Health information, including medical certificates and workers compensation material, which is generally handled more sensitively than ordinary personal information. Workplace surveillance, where separate state legislation applies to cameras, computer monitoring and vehicle tracking. And access, meaning who inside the organisation can see a personnel file and on what basis.

Privacy law also contains an employee records exemption whose scope is commonly misread. It is narrower than people assume and does not remove the obligation to handle staff information carefully.

Take advice on how the exemption applies to you rather than relying on a template’s summary of it.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner publishes the Australian Privacy Principles. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s privacy training course and HR policy templates.