Confidentiality and Employee Monitoring
Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Confidentiality and Employee Monitoring
Businesses must carefully balance confidentiality and employee monitoring when striving for the best results in customer service and company security. Many companies walk a tightrope between the two, as poor customer service costs the company clients and potential income while heavy-handed monitoring procedures may impact employee morale and even risk infringement of employee rights.
Most businesses record transactions between employees and customers in one form or another. Simple monitoring includes register checks and backups of receipts. More advanced techniques, such as filming areas of interaction or recording employee work on workplace computers are commonly employed in sensitive locations where vital information changes hands. This could include Social Security Numbers, credit card information or confidential documents.
Some companies have crossed a line with employee freedom in the past, however. Areas where an employee could consider themselves entitled to protection from monitoring include company washrooms and some gathering areas. Company policies should clearly indicate if cell phone use or personal calls on company equipment may be monitored, or if personal communication devices are banned outright.
Balancing these two important factors continues to challenge even the best managers. Technology is constantly changing, and Business.com remains a great source for the latest information on confidentiality and employee monitoring.
Privacy Laws and Policies for Small Business
Knowing the ins and outs of privacy protection is vital to your businessBy Daniel Kehrer, Founder & CEO BizBest Media Corp. With technology aplenty, small businesses are now able to track customer, prospect, employee and other information – both online and offline – with unprecedented detail and precision. But along with those data-gathering capabilities has come increased concern for privacy, safety and security among customers and employees. What kinds of information does your business gather, store and use? Who has access to it? What might it be used for? Customers and employees must be assured that you will use information you have accurately and responsibly. And beyond that, you must also comply with a wide range of privacy protection rules and regulations. As the Better Business Bureau (BBB) points out, when consumers give you personal information such as a credit card number, email or mailing address, they feel they are taking a risk that the information will be misused. So why do they do it?
- Because you have something they want – a product, information, offer or service
- Because they understand that exchanging information is necessary to complete a transaction
- Because they think the risk is minimal
Get more free business tips at BizBest.
Review state and federal privacy laws
The BBB has the best and most helpful information on the web about privacy policies and compliance for small business.
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BBB's Privacy Made Simple has a rundown of privacy laws you need to know about. Hint: There's a whole bunch of 'em, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, Computer Security Act, Customer Proprietary Network Information, Electronic Communications Privacy Act and many others. Understanding current privacy legislation will get you up to speed fast.
Get help from the Privacy Manager's Resource Center
Developed by the Better Business Bureau, this resource delivers the tools and information any small business needs to be smart about privacy.
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The Privacy Manager's Resource Center has tools and resources to help. Get guidance for creating a privacy policy that's appropriate to your business, and other tips to help build a climate of trust with your customers.
Take a privacy policy quiz
How does your business stack up in the realm of privacy protection and knowledge?
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Find out with this simple privacy assessment quiz. The BBB's excellent service Understanding Privacy is available free at the BBB website. It offers great tips on protecting privacy, for individuals and businesses alike, both online and off. The consumer toolbox has good advice and the Privacy Manager's Resource Center can help you create a privacy policy for your own business. The ID Theft section is also very useful.
Keep up with the latest issues and requirements for privacy protection
Privacy protection and compliance has become increasingly important for small businesses.
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Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a great place to discover the ins and outs of privacy protection. Their Privacy Topics A-Z list delivers helpful advice on just about any specific privacy matter that concerns you, from background checks, caller ID and check writing, to credit reports, the Do-Not-Call Registry, internet privacy and many more. If your website is targeted to kids, you'll need to understand and comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Provide customers with a way to access and update personal information
The BBB can show you how.
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Get details at Understanding Data Access.
- Establishing a small business privacy policy is part science, and part ethics. BBB separates science into six parts: Notice, choice, security, enforcement, access and onward transfer. For each part, there are rules you must follow.
- On the ethical front, if you do the right thing, customer trust will follow.
- After you develop a privacy policy, post it in your business and on your website.
- Your privacy policy should include internal procedures for collecting and handling customer information. Make sure your employees all know your policy.
- Include a way to collect customer questions, comments and complaints regarding privacy.
- Make sure your privacy policy includes steps for managing employee information.
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