How To Promote Confidentiality in the Workplace

To keep information about your business—and your employees—secure, implement a few best practices to keep sensitive information private.

With the advent of digital record keeping, it’s more important than ever to keep confidential information under lock and key. Learn how to promote confidentiality in the workplace to ensure a working environment built on trust.

Let’s look at a few types of info you’ll want to keep secure.

Data-Related

Keep behind-the-scenes software, marketing strategies, and exclusive product information inside the company by implementing a confidentiality clause in your employment contracts.

When you onboard new employees, have them sign documents affirming that they won’t leak private info to other individuals or businesses. Non-compete clauses mandate that your employees don’t do business with any competing companies.

Non-solicitation clauses prevent your employee from “poaching” workers from you to work for their own company.

Hiring-Related

Maintain integrity in your hiring process by keeping job candidates’ personal information confidential. After all, applicants give you their Social Security numbers! Keep all candidates’ personal info safe behind layers of password protection on secure networks.

Only share the most relevant information with staff members, and be careful with drug test results and other health-related data. The sharing of personal medical information is protected by HIPAA and carries its own set of regulations.

If the candidate discloses on their application that they have a disability, you must keep that information confidential.

Employee-Related

Once you’ve hired and on-boarded a new employee, all of that information—application, hiring paperwork, employment contract—goes into a confidential file. The longer they work for your company, the larger that file gets.

Never leave performance reviews and salary information out in the open! If you need to speak with your employee about their conduct or performance, do so behind closed doors. Discourage gossip within your company.

Promote healthy interpersonal relationships and inspire your employees to set boundaries for themselves. If they don’t want to disclose personal information (health-related or otherwise), commend them for prioritizing their privacy.

Make your company a positive place to work by stressing the importance of confidentiality, whether it’s with intellectual property or the results of a drug test.

When you know how to promote confidentiality in the workplace, your business will develop a reputation for trust, integrity, and healthy conduct.