General Employment Issues

Confidentiality

Through the course of employment, staff members may become aware of information confidential to NICVA. Any such information must be treated as confidential during and after the period of employment. Any materials (ie files, documents, etc) relating to NICVA, except for material published for public distribution, may not be retained for an employee’s own purposes or conveyed to any other body or organisation (eg the media), unless authorised to do so by the Chief Executive, Directors or Communications Officer. All media contact must be conducted in line with NICVA's communications strategy.

Confidential documents may include internal minutes, draft documents or other assumed sensitive materials.

Personal information about individual employees must also be treated as confidential within NICVA and must not be passed to outside organisations without the employee's expressed permission, or unless NICVA is legally required to do so.

A breach in confidentiality may be considered misconduct and could lead to disciplinary action being taken (refer to NICVA's Disciplinary Procedure).

Personnel records

NICVA shall maintain a personnel file and computer records for each NICVA employee. An employee will have the right of access to their personal file at any time upon request to the Human Resources Manager (refer to NICVA's Data Protection Policy).

Trade union membership

SIPTU is the trade union body recognised by NICVA management to represent NICVA staff. The Industrial Relations (No 2) (NI) Order 1976 gives every employee the right to:

• Belong to an independent trade union of their choice.
• Take part in the activities of that union.

New technology

NICVA fully subscribes to the principles and practices governing the introduction and continuing use of new technology in all workplaces under its management as set out in the Computer Policy.