NFIB

Maintaining Confidentiality
08/ 19/ 2003

by Jeffrey Moses

Without exception, every business today generates documents and records that require safekeeping. Information such as employee and customer records, customer financial data and supplier information must be kept confidential. If such information were to fall into the wrong hands, even inadvertently, the results could be public embarrassment, loss of business or even prosecution.

To maintain confidentiality of important documents, your company should establish a storage and disposal program by implementing the following steps:

Review all documents and records generated by your company. These could include payroll records, customer lists, tax records, personnel information, vendor information, memos and scratch paper, general wastebasket contents, computer data and microfilm.

Set up retention schedules for documents. You may be able to consult with industry trade organizations to learn about legal retention timelines.

Determine how the confidential information will be stored and destroyed. Simple recycling is not always effective, because the data may not be rendered unreadable for some time after being picked up or dropped off at a recycling center.

Many companies choose shredding as the means of destruction. Shredding is effective and relatively cost effective. If your company generates low volumes of confidential information, you may want to purchase a shredder for in-house destruction. If you generate higher volumes, you may want to consult with shredding services. To select a service in your area, visit the website of the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) at www.naidonline.org. NAID offers a certification program to assure that its members offer the highest quality and most reputable shredding services.

If you choose to hire a shredding service, the company may provide lockable storage cabinets at no charge so your employees can drop confidential records inside. The service will pick up the cabinets on a regular schedule, or when you call. If you implement your own destruction operation, you can purchase cabinets. Rubbermaid and other companies manufacture and provide lockable cabinets designed for the purpose.

Inform employees about details of the program, and stress the importance of assuring the confidentiality of every important document generated.

Assign storage cabinets or other containers to specific collection areas. Make these convenient for employees by placing in central, high-traffic areas or adjacent to workstations.

Continually re-evaluate the program to make sure that employees are participating, that data is being destroyed in a timely way, and to determine if additional storage cabinets are required.

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