
Data Protection While Working from Home: Tips for a Remote Work Policy
Est. Read Time: 2 min.
If your office-based employees recently transitioned to working from home, now may be the perfect time to take a second look at the security tips included in your remote work policy. Not sure where to start? Sharing these best practices with your employees can help to make sure everyone is following the same standards, no matter where they work. Consider adding the three suggestions below to your policy (be sure to talk it over with your security team, first).
1. Keep conversations private
Are your kids video chatting with their classmates? Is your roommate on a business call in the same space? Consider who may be able to see documents or overhear conversations while working from home.
- Secure computer screens: Angle computer screens so confidential information can't be seen during video conferences, or consider a privacy screen.
- Disable listening devices: Disable mics on listening devices (such as, Alexa, Google Home, Siri, etc.) before making a business call or joining a remote meeting.
- Wear a headset: Use a headset if you're in a place where others may be able to overhear your conversation.
2. Connect securely
- Connect to the company VPN: Always connect to the virtual private network (VPN) before working. The VPN creates a secure connection to the internal network and protects data that's sent and received.
- Use approved video meeting tools: Only use company-approved video communication tools and chat services.
3. Keep your physical and virtual desktop clean
- Save data on company-approved platforms. Only save electronic documents on company approved platforms or internal servers. This will help to ensure that confidential and sensitive data is properly protected.
- Put away records when not in use: Before joining any video chats, close all electronic documents and browser tabs unrelated to the call. Lock your computer every time you step away.
Everyone across the company must work together to protect personal and confidential information. Review your remote work policy to make sure employees have all the information they need to connect securely from home. By regularly educating (and reminding) employees on work-from-home best practices, you can help employees to better protect and secure company data.
For HR teams looking to store, share and manage documents containing sensitive employee data, PeopleDoc's Employee File Management platform makes it possible no matter where you work from.
You May Also Be Interested In:
3 ways HR can increase employee data privacy awareness
Last week, organizations around the world celebrated Data Privacy Day, an annual event with the goal of increasing data protection awareness. But, what can HR do to increase awareness after Data Privacy Day is over? After all, protecting personal employee data isn’t just a one-day project. Here are three things HR teams can do now to put privacy first every day:
Why HR should care about accessible technology
In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day we’re explaining what accessibility means and why businesses and their HR leaders should pay attention to it. As the world becomes increasingly digital, you’ll surely encounter the need to evaluate new workplace software or tools. For HR especially, considering whether new technology is accessible can make a world of difference for the employee experience. Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know about accessibility:
How NCR Stays on Top of Managing Employee Record Retention Guidelines
With 30,000 employees located across all 7 continents, Dana LaBarnes, Senior Director of Global HR Shared Services at NCR, has his work cut out for him. Consider how many different employee record retention guidelines his team must manage—and the fines associated with letting just one document slip through the cracks. It’s not a risk NCR (nor any company) can afford to take. To stay on top of the various document retention schedules for his geographically diverse employee population, Dana needed to find a digital solution. In this video, he explains how he made his decision:
About Robin Sendrow
Robin is the HR Compliance Assist Manager at PeopleDoc. She joined the team to help customers remain in compliance globally and easily navigate foreign rules and regulations through HR Compliance Assist. Previously, Robin managed client HR communications and provided outsourced HR support. She has a Masters in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.