Managing confidentiality privacy and records
Learn how to protect confidential, personal and health information at work, and follow best practice for records management in the NSW government sector.
Your responsibilities as a NSW Government sector employee
As a NSW Government sector employee, you must:
- protect personal and health information
- keep official information confidential
- manage records properly.
These responsibilities help protect the community, support transparent government, and ensure services are delivered fairly.
Protecting personal and health information
You must follow your agency’s privacy and data breach policies. You also need to comply with:
- the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act)
- the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act).
These laws explain how government agencies must handle personal and health information.
Keeping official information confidential
Unless otherwise authorised, you must maintain the confidentiality of all official information (including confidential, personal and other sensitive information or documents) held by your agency that is:
- not publicly available
- has not been published
- is information that you are not authorised to disclose.
You may only disclose official confidential information when you are authorised to do so, including when permitted or required by law or legal process to do so.
You must not disclose, access or use official information in an unauthorised way, including for your or anyone else’s personal benefit or advantage.
Misuse of information acquired in the course of your employment may amount to misconduct, an offence under applicable criminal, privacy, information access, or State Records legislation and/or serious wrongdoing.
Learn more about confidential information – NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption
Managing records properly
Keeping good records is essential for:
- delivering quality services
- supporting your agency’s operations
- ensuring transparency and accountability.
Poor record-keeping can lead to risks for you and your agency. Integrity agencies, including the Independent Commission Against Corruption, NSW Ombudsman, and Audit Office of NSW, have reported on this issue. Keeping accurate records helps protect you if your work is ever reviewed.
You must:
- follow your agency’s records management policy
- understand the rules that apply to your role
- never destroy records unless you are authorised to do so.