How To Keep Information Confidential In The Workplace

13th April 2022

Using Secure Business Storage

When it comes to the world of business, there is private information and confidential documentation everywhere. From customer payment details, supplier details and employee information. All this information is dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands.

As a storage facility, we offer secure storage for businesses and their confidential documents. In this article we look into how to keep your information confidential in the workplace, in more detail. We want to help business owners like you, keep confidential documents safe.

So, how can you keep your information confidential in the workplace? We have shared some ideas below for you.

Workplace Information Destruction Policy

Relying on your team to shred the right workplace information can be a risky plan. It can be hard for employees to know what is sensitive information and what isn’t. Do your employees know what information needs to be kept, what can go in the normal waste and what needs to be shredded? It’s always good to have some pre-defined information, like a checklist that defines document categories and processes. This will help employees know what they need to do.

If you choose to implement a workplace information destruction policy in your workplace, think about it on a daily basis and also for those important documents that need to be kept for longer. For example, you could request that all documents with customer information need to be logged online, and once this has happened, they need to be shredded. This includes post-it notes, letters, printed emails and more. It’s commonly known as a ‘Shred All’ policy. The benefit of this policy is that employees know that everything needs to be shredded so they don’t need to make the security decision on confidential documents.

The process needs to be run differently for documents that need to be retained for a period of time. For example, tax documents need to be stored safely for a set amount of time. This is the same for employee records and medical records too. As part of your policy, you can state that these confidential documents that need to be kept for a long period of time could be placed into indexed boxes and put into a storage facility. Once the required period of time has passed these documents can then be shredded.

Clean Desk Policy

Many businesses introduce a clean desk policy into their workplace to improve hygiene and cleanliness. However, a clean desk policy can also work as part of a confidential document process too. A clean desk policy will mean that there is no risk of sensitive documents being left on desks at the end of the day, in full view of visitors, cleaning staff or other employees. Implement a clean desk policy and request that all documents are locked away at the end of each day. Request that no paper or confidential information is left on desks, and is locked away, where it is safe and secure.

Document Security Training

It is important that your employees are trained on document security, so they know what to do with confidential documents and what is classed as a confidential document. Make sure that your employees are trained on how to protect confidential information. Employees will also need to know what documents need to be stored and which need to be shredded. It is important that employees are aware that they can only share confidential information with those that need to know it. They should also be aware that they need to report any actual or suspected access to confidential documents to management promptly. 

Non-Disclosure Clause

We would recommend that you have a written and signed a non-disclosure agreement that should be signed by all employees. This will help to safeguard your business. It will also make employees aware that they are not permitted to share or distribute any confidential information that they come across. This will show your employees that you are serious about confidentially. By including a non-disclosure clause in all employment agreements, you can help prevent problems for your business, from a legal and practical perspective.

Limited Access To Confidential Information

If your business has a lot of confidential information, it is important that you limit who has access to the information. Why not have access rights for employees on a ‘need to know’ basis? It is a good idea to have hard copies of all documents kept locked away. Electronic copies of these documents should then be password protected. If the hard copies of the documents are not needed every day, then why not place them in our storage facility for confidential documents? This way you will know they are safe, secure and away from prying eyes.

Visitor Policies

What does your visitor policy look like? Are visitors given access to all areas of the business? It is a good idea to have a strict visitor policy. Ask visitors to sign a confidentiality agreement at the point of arrival. If they are entering the workplace, ensure that they are escorted at all times. Make employees aware that there will be visitors in the office and for them to be careful with confidential information. Further to this, keep visitors away from areas where they could become exposed to confidential information.

Secure Document Storage

Steps need to be taken to ensure that all physical documents are as little at risk from possible theft as possible. Where possible, ensure that these documents are locked away in the evenings. To take this security one step further, we would recommend investing in an offsite storage facility for your confidential documents. Our storage facility is ideal for documents that require a longer retention period but are not needed every day in the office.

Back Up Your Data

It is recommended that you always back up your information. Physical documents should be scanned and saved on secure servers where possible. This means that if the worst happens and documents are lost, stolen or damaged, you still have access to them.

By placing your confidential documents into a secure storage facility, you will know that your data is in safe and secure hands. Our storage facility is monitored under surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is temperate controlled, dark and dry. This means that your confidential files will not become damaged while in storage. 

When you place your confidential documents into our secure storage facility you are removing all risks associated with internal storage systems, all while knowing your important information is safe and secure.

Call our business storage team now to find out more. Our priority is to help your business with your storage needs, no matter how long or short-term they may be.