Confidentiality whilst working from home

How much do you know about your employees’ set up when working from home? Are they able to keep up the same confidentiality standards that you maintain in the office? While you may be very trusting of your staff, this doesn’t mean that their housemates or even neighbours won’t inadvertently overhear a telephone call or catch a glimpse of a document left out on the dining room table.

All law firms are required by law to have measures in place to keep client’s information confidential, and most other businesses which deal with sensitive information will have similar policies to protect themselves and their clients. However, in the current climate a lot has changed and many employees who would usually only work in the office are now working from home and you should consider how this could affect confidentiality in your business.

Do your employees live with family members or housemates who could overhear video meetings? Do they have somewhere secure to put away sensitive documents? Is their Wi-Fi network secure? These are all things you should consider in order to protect your business and avoid breaching confidentiality clauses in contracts.

If you don’t already have a policy in place for remote workers, now is a good time to create one to ensure the security of your business and clients. Or if you already have a policy, it may need reviewing in light of the increase in employees working remotely.

When creating new policies it is always a good idea to seek legal advice to ensure that your confidentiality policy will not breach any confidentiality agreements you have with clients or business contacts, and also that what you are asking of your staff is reasonable and in keeping with their employment contract.

Here at Kleyman & Co, we would be happy to offer a free initial chat about confidentiality in your business, please contact me at ellie@kleymansolicitors.com to arrange a call.

Kleyman & Co Solicitors. The Full-Service Law Firm. Protecting Your Personal Information.