Privacy laws are changing – are you ready for 12 March 2014?
It’s true, another legislative change is due to occur, and we’re only two months into 2014!
This time it’s Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 that is being updated. In March 2014, the existing National Privacy Principles will be replaced by 13 new Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) which will require organisations to modify the way they currently collect, use and disclose ‘personal information’ and ‘sensitive information’ about individuals.
What does this mean for me as an employer?
The biggest change for employers is in relation to the gathering and possession of personal information of candidates who have unsuccessfully applied for a position. Although employee records remain exempt from the APP’s, personal information of unsuccessful candidates does not.
What do I do?
It is recommended that organisations have a Privacy Policy, preferably accessible externally (i.e on their website), that includes:
- What kinds of personal information is collected and held, and how it is collected and held;
- The purposes for which the organisation collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information;
- How an individual can access this information; and
- Whether the organisation is likely to disclose this personal information overseas.
What do I do if I need help?
Can you imagine the value of having a single contact person you could call for HR and/or Safety advice for your business? One person who could get to know your business inside and out, and provide consistent advice based on that knowledge? Well HR On-Demand offers you just that, with our ‘Account Management’ system.
To ensure your business is alerted and kept up to date with changes such as this one, call HR On-Demand on 1300 559 585 to find out how membership can help your business remain compliant.
