Protecting my personal info/data at work

[wheretogetit]

HR Experts in the House – Advice Needed

I recently asked HR to ensure that my personal information — name, address, and other sensitive details — is not visible to a new manager. I am a victim of a serious crime and take my privacy very seriously, making every effort to shield my data wherever possible.

Initially, HR said it wasn’t possible. I explained my situation again, emphasizing safety concerns, and they have since relocated us for safety reasons. I haven’t disclosed that the relocation is temporary, but I want to know: is it feasible to fully restrict access to your personal data from certain managers in the workplace?

I’d really appreciate any insights or guidance from HR professionals or anyone who has navigated similar situations.

also, is it possible to use a PO Box address at work? I want to update my address to a PO Box address. Or does it have to be the exact address one actually resides?

@BillieWiper. That was my exact thought. I’ve never had any problems with HMRC or any employer before now. They insisted it was for internal records and compliance reasons, not personal preference, but it still felt unnecessarily rigid.

Laughable nonsense and rubbish

They said my preferred name is on there and my full legal name should be there ias Susan Smith not Sue smith. I am not happen about it to be honest because they went ahead and allowed line manager to see the info I asked not to be disclosed to her or anyone thank goodness, I hadn’t and refused to update me address otherwise it would have been seen as well. They have actually not treated me right have they?

There have been steadily increasing obligations on employers to verify the employment rights of their staff. To do that, they need to have a record of your legal name. What system they store it on, how those checks are done and how rigorous will depend between organisations.

It sounds like you’ve found a suitable way forward.

If there is an interface between the HR system & the payroll system then I can understand why they need the legal name in the HR system.

sure there are workarounds but it’s not straightforward

It feels to me like a big opportunity to facilitate fraud or tax evasion or benefit fraud (UC?) or something dodgy if people's workplace identities aren't fully legally identified and described and tied to an address that is at least somewhat accessible to employers and clearly verified by them.

I can't follow all the access options that OP is worried about, but anyway, definitely there are legitimate interests in employers running PAYE to have employee addresses and full legal names.

Once in a while someone uses my NI number to get earned income I never see. Then I have to persuade HMRC that it's not me earned that money, it's that suspicious other person, so please don't count their income as my income (and their tax due). It helps that my legal name has only one version, which is tied to one NI tied to a ordinary property address (not London) rather than the diverse London addresses the person who 'borrows' my NI.No. uses.

What exactly are you afraid your manager will do? Seriously? Its the manager you are afraid of who has seen this information already so if you have alleged a breach and none has been agreed on and your manager already knows where you live and your real name then what is your ideal outcome?

Yeah, I had that once. They insisted I wore a name badge with a version of my name I haven't used since primary school?! Ridiculous! X

. I’ve just opened an internal Excel sheet at work for a staff training list and saw my full legal name sitting there instead of my preferred name. This is something I raised before, they apologised, acknowledged it and assured me it would never happen again.

For context, my workplace has two names on record for me. My full legal name, which I have clearly asked not to be used or published internally or externally and my preferred name, which I asked to be used at all times. They confirmed they noted this. Yet here I am again seeing my legal name on a shared staff document.

I feel so exposed and disheartened. It honestly feels intentional at this point, even if part of me knows it might have been carelessness. But having already raised it and been reassured, this has really knocked me.

Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Am I overreacting or is this as serious as it feels?

I’d suggest going back to the senior HR person and asking for a follow up conversation given that this has happened.

@ScaryM0nsteri am guessing this happened at the time the email was sent to all staff members with the excel sheet with all staff members name attached which was arriound early October 🤦🏾‍♀️🙄🤷🏾‍♀️

In my office managers have access to employee’s addresses, phone numbers & number for next of kin. This is in case they don’t turn up for work - we have a Duty of Cafe to our staff.

What is the outcome you desire here op? Your legal name is your legal name for work, home address, banking, hmrc etc. It really is not that strange for it to be on your payroll system and hr system but again as I said above if everyone knows your real name anyway and not the pseudonym you go by then what is the harm? The damage has been done now. You cannot remove peoples memories of your real name which clearly you are still legally using. Unless you change your name via deedpoll then honestly what are they doing wrong?

I line manage and our HR system dues but allow me to see my direct reports addresses.
if I need that info set the instance for a contact letter or OH referral I have ru askHR or the staff member themselves.
if you doubt want your manager to see it I don’t see why HR couldn’t restrict access after all it’s your privacy.