Discover Your Privacy Rating: Questionnaire
Do you know your privacy rights in the workplace?
Use this questionnaire to find the level of your privacy knowledge.
Questions
1. UK Law
Does the Data Protection Act apply to employees as well as employers?
Yes O No O
2. Privacy Policy
Does your company have a privacy policy?
Yes O No O Don’t Know O
3. Your Pay
Should an employer make the remuneration details of ordinary employees available to anyone who asks for them?
Yes O No O
4. Private Phone Calls
Are mobile phones exempt from policies on private phone calls?
Yes O No O
5. Your Home Phone
Can you withhold your personal phone number from your employer?
Yes O No O
6. Your Photograph
Can your employer use your photo in advertising material, magazines, etc?
Yes O No O
7. Personal Online Banking at Work
Do you conduct personal online banking transactions at work?
Yes O No O
8. Non-Disclosure Agreements
Would you sign a non-disclosure agreement if your employer asked you?
Yes O No O
9. Health Problems
Should your employer keep the details of an employee’s mental health problems confidential?
Yes O No O
10. Identity Theft
Name two items of personal information your employer holds that are useful to identity thieves.
11. Privacy Protection
Name two ways you can protect your privacy at work.
12. Staff Appraisal
Do you have the right to see your staff appraisal notes?
Yes O No O
13. Personnel Files
Do you have the right to correct information on your personnel file?
Yes O No O
14. European Convention on Human Rights
Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights applies to freedom of expression. What Article relates to privacy?
Answers
1. UK Law
The Data Protection Act applies to both employees and employers. If you answered ‘yes’, award yourself one point.
2. Privacy Policy
If you answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’, award yourself one point. What’s important is to know whether your company has a policy or not.
3. Your Pay
Award yourself one point if you answered ‘no’.
4. Private Phone Calls
The same rules apply to mobile and landline phones. Give yourself one point if you answered ‘no’.
5. Your Home Phone
You can withhold your home phone number from company records. Give yourself one point for answering ‘yes’.
6. Your Photograph
You may need to provide a photo for ID purposes but that’s it. Your employer should seek your permission before using your photo in any other way. Take one point if you answered ‘no’.
7. Personal Online Banking at Work
Give yourself one point if you said ‘no’. If you conduct personal banking on a computer at work, rather than at home, you are exposing yourself to a greater risk of identity theft.
8. Non-Disclosure Agreements
A company has a right to protect sensitive commercial information. Award yourself a point if you answered ‘yes’.
9. Health Problems
No matter how a colleague’s health problems may affect fellow workers, he or she has a right to confidentiality. Give yourself one point for answering ‘yes’.
10. Identity Theft
(i) Address.
(ii) Bank account details.
(iii) Phone number.
(iv) Next of kin.
If you thought of at least two of the above, award yourself one point.
11. Privacy Protection
(i) Read and follow the company privacy policy.
(ii) Only give your employer necessary personal information.
(iii) Don’t use the Internet at work to transmit personal data.
(iv) Review the records your employer holds about you.
If you thought of at least two of the above, give yourself one point.
12. Staff Appraisal
You have the right to see the staff appraisal comments and notes your employer has made. Award yourself one point if you answered ‘yes’.
13. Personnel Files
You have the right to update and correct the information on your personnel file. Your company should have a procedure to make such adjustments, so speak to the appropriate member of staff before making any alteration. Give yourself one point, therefore, if you answered ‘yes’.
14. European Convention on Human Rights
Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights applies to privacy. In an age when people make frequent references to human rights, it’s worth knowing where to find the details that may prove useful in a privacy dispute.
Marking
If you scored thirteen or fourteen points, your privacy knowledge is excellent.
If you scored ten – twelve points, you’ve a good grasp of your rights but may want to fill in the gaps.
If you scored less than ten points, you may need to find time to learn more about your privacy rights. After all, it’s almost certain that at some stage in your working career, you’ll face an issue that affects your privacy.
