The Workforce Profile (WP) data collection provides the NSW Government and its agencies with data on the characteristics of NSW public sector employment, drawn from the anonymous records of each employee. Data from the 1999 collection has been published and provided to agencies. The 2000 data will be released on a website to be launched in March and the Overview report for 2000 is planned for distribution in the same month.

As part of planning for the 2001 collection due at the end of the financial year, I am writing to all CEOs to emphasise the importance of the requirements set out in the Privacy Code of Practice for the WP, which is based on the principles of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act.

Circular 99-40 requested that CEOs ensure all employees were advised of the WP collection and confidentiality arrangements, prior to forwarding their data to the Premier's Department. This applied to all staff employed at the time of the first collection and thereafter to all new permanent, temporary and casual employees. With the third annual collection now underway, agencies are requested to check that they have on-going processes in place to meet the requirements and that all staff who have joined the agency have been informed of the WP and given the option to withhold their data. Agencies have reported that an efficient way to achieve this is to integrate WP information into established first-day induction procedures. If any backlog exists, steps should be taken to address it now to avoid delay at the time when WP 2001 returns are due. Late returns mean delays in returning aggregated and agency data back to individual agencies.

Further details of requirements are provided in the attachment to this letter, together with some sample information sheets and notes for induction briefings, which you may find useful to utilise in their present form or incorporate into your agency's documentation.

Please contact Kim Smith on 9228 5133 or by email [email protected] if you have any enquiries or need any further assistance.

Col Gellatly
Director-General
Encl 4
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Workforce Profile Privacy Code of Practice updated 2004
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Attachment 1
MANAGING THE WORKFORCE PROFILE PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

Basic requirements 
Under the WP Privacy Code of Practice, all employees have a right to be advised of their agency's intention to report their data on an anonymous basis to the Premier's Department as part of the annual WP collection. They also have a right to request that all or part of their data be withheld from the agency return. To date only a very small number of employees have taken up that option, however it is essential that procedures are place to inform all new employees as they are recruited, to provide them with the opportunity to discuss any concerns and to allow them to withhold their data if that is their wish.

Please note that under the provisions of the Privacy Code of Conduct, you are required to advise employees once of your intention to report their data on an annual basis. It is not a requirement to issue advice annually to continuing staff.

Suggested approach 
First day induction: A practical way to manage these requirements is to incorporate information about the WP into your 'first day induction' processes.

• We have developed an Information Sheet  - electronic version available on request) which you may find useful to give to each new employee at the same time as the forms for their contact and banking details, Superannuation, EEO data, and so on.
• If you use a 'commencement checklist' for new starters, it may be appropriate to include a check box to confirm that the employee 'has been informed of the Workforce Profile Data Collection, given the opportunity to discuss any concerns, and given the opportunity to withhold his/her data'.

Agency induction course: It may be appropriate to incorporate a short segment in the Induction Program where new starters are given:

• A copy of the Privacy Code of Practice for the NSW Public Sector Workforce Profile
• A run-down by the presenter on the Workforce Profile, the information protection principles and privacy protection arrangements is a suggested format and wording for the short segment) and
• The opportunity to speak in private with their Human Resources Manager if they have any further questions in relation to privacy and the Workforce Profile.

see data collection Info

Advice to all staff: Depending on what action was taken at the time of the first and/or second WP collection, you may think it more appropriate to send an information sheet to all staff, by email or by newsletter. To assist you with this approach, we have developed a sample advice to adapt to your needs (see Workforce Profile Background Info).

Staff who request that their data be withheld
Staff who express concerns about the WP collection should, in the first instance, be offered the opportunity to discuss their issues with a contact officer who is familiar with the nature and purpose of the collection. Agencies have reported that most concerns raised by staff were allayed through such discussion and, as a result, only very few employees have requested that their data be withheld.

Staff who decide to withhold their data are often only concerned about a few data items (eg EEO characteristics) and this should be clarified with them. It is also important to inform them that basic data will be reported on all staff, so that the overall staff count is correct. This basic data is entry date, exit date (where appropriate) and census date status. In addition aggregated data will be collected from the agency on all staff but will not include individual data.